September 9, 2025 • 6 mins
A father is gunned down in front of a vandalized spray-painted walkway near a country pond, just minutes after walking his 6-year-old son to school. A Charlotte police officer who took his own life while on duty is now confirmed to be the first known law enforcement officer diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or C.T.E. Drew Nelson reports.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Alert hourly update, breaking crime news Now. I'm Drew Nelson.
A father is gun down in front of a vandalized,
spray painted walkway near a country pond, just minutes after
walking his six year old son to school. Kevin Doherty,
eight fifty six, had just left Calvin Coolidge Elementary in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts,
when he called nine to one one to report a
(00:21):
man attacking him near Jordan Pond on August twenty eighth.
On the open line, he was heard saying, quote, he
shot me. Seconds later, the call went silent. Police found
Doherty with multiple gunshot wounds. He died at UMass Medical Center.
A witness told police the argument started over a scooter.
The man who fired the gun, later identified as twenty
(00:42):
six year olds Nehal Shrivestava, fled the scene but was
tracked to his home. Officers said he was still wearing
the same Nike Airmax sneakers seen in photos Doherty had
taken just before the shooting, one of shreve Stava holding
a spray paint can painting the sidewalk. Shrevistava is now
char with armed assault to murder and illegal possession of
(01:03):
a firearm. He's being held without bail, please say. Graffiti
tied to the Crips gang had been painted at the
same spot the day before. Similar tags were found outside
Shriet Less Stava's home. The shooting happened just weeks before
Doherty's planned wedding. Is fiance Sarah Schofield described Doherty as
quote funny and kind and a devoted daughter to Jack,
(01:24):
Grace and Rose. Quote he truly woke up every morning
with a smile on his face. There is now a
fundraiser for the funeral and kids.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Once I got the go ahead from the family to
post it. I mean literally the day after twenty four hours,
we were probably at forty thousand dollars.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Community leader Andrea Castanetti saying, the town is shaken.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
This is my community, my office, and my house is
right down the street. We still can't wrap our head
around the fact that this happened.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Castanetti tells WFXT she's organizing a remembrance event for October eleventh.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Let the family, you know, know that we are behind
them at the end of the day. You know, we
don't want it to be a somber event. We know this.
This is such a tragic, tragic incident that never should
have happened in the first place. But ultimately we really
want the community just rally around Sarah and our family.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Donations have quickly poured in for Doherty's family.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
I cannot tell you the hundreds and hundreds of people
that have stepped up, just not even for meals or money,
just to say, hey, Andrea, how can we help here?
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Kestinetti, adding that electricians, plumbers and others have offered services
free of charge. A memorial now stands at the walking trail,
where neighbors have renamed the path the Kevin Doherty Walkway.
More crime and justice news after this, A Charlotte, North Carolina,
(02:42):
police officer who took his own life while on duty
is now confirmed to be the first known law enforcement
officer diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE. That's according
to The New York Times. Brent Simpson died by suicide
in July of last year at the age of forty seven.
He left for work that morning, kissed his wife, Gina Elliott,
(03:03):
and said he loved her. Two hours later, his boss
and other officers showed up at her door. They told
her Simpson had shot himself at a cemetery In the
final years of his life, Simpson often told Elliot, quote,
something is wrong with my brain. She kept notes as
he began to lose his memory and drift from the
life that he had built for himself. He stopped his
(03:23):
beloved hobby of woodworking. He no longer trained for his
jiu jitsu black belt. He started crying without warning. He
felt a constant pressure behind his right eye. He told
her he could not feel joy. Simpson joined the Charlotte
Mecklenburg Police Department in two thousand and six. By twenty eleven,
he was training recruits and hand to hand combat at
(03:44):
the academy. He wore padded gear during the physical combat training,
but often returned home bruised and dazed. He later achieved
his dream of becoming a canine officer. Still, by twenty twenty,
Elliot noticed a sharp change. He talked about retiring early.
He seemed distant. One day, when asked to speak at
a funeral, he told her quote, I don't know whether
(04:05):
what I'm remembering is real or imagined. In twenty twenty three,
he entered a mental health rehab program for first responders
and was diagnosed with PTSD. Nothing helped he slept no
more than three hours a night. He grew paranoid and
kept prepper supplies in the house. After workships, he would
sometimes sit and stare blankly at the wall. In early
(04:26):
twenty twenty four, he tried ketamine therapy and antidepressants. Doctors
ran MRIs blood tests and other neurological exams, but got
no clear answer. Elliot says she felt him slipping further away.
After his death, Simpson's brain was donated to Boston University's
CTE Center. Doctor n McKee, who studied his brain, found
(04:48):
lesions in the frontal and temporal lobes signs of early
stage CTE. She told The Times, quote People in these
early stages of CTE can have fairly profound behavioral changes
and sometimes personality changes. She noted that Simpson's years of
police training, Navy service, and even high school football all
raised his risk. Psychotherapist Stephanie Samuels, who works with law enforcement,
(05:12):
told The Times many of her patients show similar symptoms rage,
memory lapses, paranoia. She believes CTE has long been overlooked
in police suicide cases. Gina Elliot now knows what her
husband could not. Quote, My sweet baby had to die
thinking he was going insane. More than a year has passed,
but she still hasn't washed his clothes. Sometimes she drives
(05:35):
his truck and reaches across the seat, pretending he's there
to hold her hand. Quote. I lost him twice. He
was gone years before he was physically gone. The Department
has not commented publicly on the CT diagnosis. For the
latest crime and justice news, follow crime alerts hourly update
on your favorite podcast app with this crime alert. I'm
(05:55):
Drew Nelson.
Crime Alert hourly update, breaking crime news Now. I'm Drew Nelson.
A father is gun down in front of a vandalized,
spray painted walkway near a country pond, just minutes after
walking his six year old son to school. Kevin Doherty,
eight fifty six, had just left Calvin Coolidge Elementary in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts,
when he called nine to one one to report a
(00:21):
man attacking him near Jordan Pond on August twenty eighth.
On the open line, he was heard saying, quote, he
shot me. Seconds later, the call went silent. Police found
Doherty with multiple gunshot wounds. He died at UMass Medical Center.
A witness told police the argument started over a scooter.
The man who fired the gun, later identified as twenty
(00:42):
six year olds Nehal Shrivestava, fled the scene but was
tracked to his home. Officers said he was still wearing
the same Nike Airmax sneakers seen in photos Doherty had
taken just before the shooting, one of shreve Stava holding
a spray paint can painting the sidewalk. Shrevistava is now
char with armed assault to murder and illegal possession of
(01:03):
a firearm. He's being held without bail, please say. Graffiti
tied to the Crips gang had been painted at the
same spot the day before. Similar tags were found outside
Shriet Less Stava's home. The shooting happened just weeks before
Doherty's planned wedding. Is fiance Sarah Schofield described Doherty as
quote funny and kind and a devoted daughter to Jack,
(01:24):
Grace and Rose. Quote he truly woke up every morning
with a smile on his face. There is now a
fundraiser for the funeral and kids.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Once I got the go ahead from the family to
post it. I mean literally the day after twenty four hours,
we were probably at forty thousand dollars.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Community leader Andrea Castanetti saying, the town is shaken.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
This is my community, my office, and my house is
right down the street. We still can't wrap our head
around the fact that this happened.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Castanetti tells WFXT she's organizing a remembrance event for October eleventh.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Let the family, you know, know that we are behind
them at the end of the day. You know, we
don't want it to be a somber event. We know this.
This is such a tragic, tragic incident that never should
have happened in the first place. But ultimately we really
want the community just rally around Sarah and our family.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Donations have quickly poured in for Doherty's family.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
I cannot tell you the hundreds and hundreds of people
that have stepped up, just not even for meals or money,
just to say, hey, Andrea, how can we help here?
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Kestinetti, adding that electricians, plumbers and others have offered services
free of charge. A memorial now stands at the walking trail,
where neighbors have renamed the path the Kevin Doherty Walkway.
More crime and justice news after this, A Charlotte, North Carolina,
(02:42):
police officer who took his own life while on duty
is now confirmed to be the first known law enforcement
officer diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE. That's according
to The New York Times. Brent Simpson died by suicide
in July of last year at the age of forty seven.
He left for work that morning, kissed his wife, Gina Elliott,
(03:03):
and said he loved her. Two hours later, his boss
and other officers showed up at her door. They told
her Simpson had shot himself at a cemetery In the
final years of his life, Simpson often told Elliot, quote,
something is wrong with my brain. She kept notes as
he began to lose his memory and drift from the
life that he had built for himself. He stopped his
(03:23):
beloved hobby of woodworking. He no longer trained for his
jiu jitsu black belt. He started crying without warning. He
felt a constant pressure behind his right eye. He told
her he could not feel joy. Simpson joined the Charlotte
Mecklenburg Police Department in two thousand and six. By twenty eleven,
he was training recruits and hand to hand combat at
(03:44):
the academy. He wore padded gear during the physical combat training,
but often returned home bruised and dazed. He later achieved
his dream of becoming a canine officer. Still, by twenty twenty,
Elliot noticed a sharp change. He talked about retiring early.
He seemed distant. One day, when asked to speak at
a funeral, he told her quote, I don't know whether
(04:05):
what I'm remembering is real or imagined. In twenty twenty three,
he entered a mental health rehab program for first responders
and was diagnosed with PTSD. Nothing helped he slept no
more than three hours a night. He grew paranoid and
kept prepper supplies in the house. After workships, he would
sometimes sit and stare blankly at the wall. In early
(04:26):
twenty twenty four, he tried ketamine therapy and antidepressants. Doctors
ran MRIs blood tests and other neurological exams, but got
no clear answer. Elliot says she felt him slipping further away.
After his death, Simpson's brain was donated to Boston University's
CTE Center. Doctor n McKee, who studied his brain, found
(04:48):
lesions in the frontal and temporal lobes signs of early
stage CTE. She told The Times, quote People in these
early stages of CTE can have fairly profound behavioral changes
and sometimes personality changes. She noted that Simpson's years of
police training, Navy service, and even high school football all
raised his risk. Psychotherapist Stephanie Samuels, who works with law enforcement,
(05:12):
told The Times many of her patients show similar symptoms rage,
memory lapses, paranoia. She believes CTE has long been overlooked
in police suicide cases. Gina Elliot now knows what her
husband could not. Quote, My sweet baby had to die
thinking he was going insane. More than a year has passed,
but she still hasn't washed his clothes. Sometimes she drives
(05:35):
his truck and reaches across the seat, pretending he's there
to hold her hand. Quote. I lost him twice. He
was gone years before he was physically gone. The Department
has not commented publicly on the CT diagnosis. For the
latest crime and justice news, follow crime alerts hourly update
on your favorite podcast app with this crime alert. I'm
(05:55):
Drew Nelson.
Host
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