Ivyland Police Chief 'Resting Comfortably' After Surgery

Ivyland Borough Police Chief Nicholas Rosato is doing well following surgery on Monday at St. Mary's Hospital, according to Ivyland Mayor Charlie Ritter.

"He is resting comfortably at the hospital," Ritter said. "I was very upset when I first heard what happened, but when I got to the hospital, I saw he was in good hands."

Ritter said that he doesn't expect to see Rosato back on the job for a while. In the meantime, Sgt. Rich Carey of the Horsham Township police department has taken over day-to-day operations of the police department on a part-time basis. Along with the eight other Ivyland officers, Ritter said he is confident the borough will remain well-covered.

Just after 8:30 a.m. on April 15, , which was parked at the  on Bristol Road. Rosato suffered a heart attack while directing traffic at the scene of Ofc. Lizzio's suicide.

“Thankfully other officers were around (Rosato) and able to put the AED on him and shock him,” said Upper Southampton Chief of Police Ron MacPherson. “They stabilized him before they took him out to St. Mary’s.”

As the Upper Southampton police department closed early Friday to deal with the tragedy, officers from Warminster, Northampton and Lower Southampton stepped in to assist with covering the township until Saturday morning.

"There were three to four officers patrolling the area and responding to calls around the clock," said Warminster Police Chief S. Michael Murphy. "This isn't something you plan for, it just kicks in automatically."

According to a study published in the International Journal of Emergency Mental Health in 2008, there are roughly 150 police officer suicides a year. The National Surveillance of Police Suicide Study showed that the highest risk for officer suicide was between the ages of 35-39 and service times between 10-14 years.