Tragedy as Sheriff Richard Berdnik found dead in Toros Restaurant after nearly 30 years as Passaic C

A SHERIFF with nearly three decades in law enforcement was found dead inside a restaurant on Tuesday in an apparent suicide.

Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik was discovered inside a Toros Restaurant in Clifton, New Jersey.

Berdnick went into the bathroom of the restaurant and soon after people said they heard a gunshot, per the Bergen Record.

More than a dozen police vehicles arrived within a block of Toros when a call was reported around 3:38 pm, including fire and emergency crews.

Nearby streets were blocked off with helicopters hovering above the scene.

"Rich always had a laid-back demeanor, truly cared about law enforcement, but was kind and caring at the same time. He was so even-tempered.  I think that makes this even harder to understand," said former Woodland Park Mayor Keith Kazmark.

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"We never truly know how people feel inside, what is going on that could tragically impact them. It puts everything in perspective and shows we need to be kind and care about one another even more. We lost a great sheriff and a really good man."

Former Clifton Mayor James Anzaldi said he was fond of Berdnik.

"I can't imagine," he told the outlet. "Richie was the salt of the earth, my kind of person. My heart breaks for his family." 

The owner of Toros, Huseyin Bayram, was given a key to the city of Paterson earlier Tuesday by Mayor Andre Sayegh for his humanitarian efforts during the pandemic.

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Shortly before Berdnik's death, the two would take a photo together for the magazine Turk of America.

"He asked if the magazine was distributed in Passaic County," wrote Turk of America co-founder Cemil Ozyurt on X, (formerly known as Twitter).

"I've never been this close to death."

'I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING'

Berdnik's death comes as the department has been going through a difficult week.

Two sergeants and a sheriff's officer were arrested on January 17 in connection to an alleged beating of a pretrial detainee at the Passaic County Jail in January 2021.

Berdnik issued a memo last Thursday announcing that he would lay off 29 sheriff's officers as a result of the shutdown of that same jail.

"I am well aware that there is much confusion and stress during this very difficult time in our agency," read Berdnik's memo.

"I have done everything in my power to find employment for all affected employees but unfortunately, we must move forward to lay off 29 correctional police officers at this time."

Berdnik graduated from Clifton High School and attended the New Jersey State Police Academy, the FBI National Academy, and the FBI National Executive Institute.

Before becoming a sheriff of Passaic County., Berdinik spent 28 years with the Clifton Police Department.

He was the Commander of the Juvenile Division as well as a part of the SWAT team. Berdnik prided himself on serving almost every position in the agency during his decades-long career.

Known for his great work, he received many citations over the years for his exceptional service to the community.

After becoming sheriff he was said to have become focused on technology, training, and the operations of the agency.

He was credited for his help with local police and how he handled criminal activity in the community.

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He is survived by his wife, Monica Berdnik, a pediatric nurse at St. Joseph's Medical Center.

The couple has four children, including Berdnik's son Kevin who is a member of the Rockaway Police Department.

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988 or chat on 988lifeline.org. You can also text HOME to 741741 for Crisis Text Line.

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