Early on Thursday, March 26, MPD received a call for a body found hanging in a tree on the 7200 block of 7th Street NW in Takoma, near Fern Street.

MPD has confirmed the death of a male individual, and believes the cause was suicide.

“Fourth District units received a radio assignment yesterday morning,” said Fourth District Commander Randy Griffin. “Upon arrival to the scene, they located the remains of the decedent. Although the DC Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy and determine the cause of death, all of the circumstances discovered during the police investigation suggest a suicide.”

The incident occurred near 7th and Fern Streets NW in the Takoma neighborhood.

Someone took pictures and video of the body and uploaded them to social media, where it remained available for a few hours on Instagram until it was taken down. Posts on the Next Door website and app about the death mentioned the Instagram images, and garnered angry comments.

“I have expressed my displeasure with the fact that someone was so insensitive and distasteful that they actually took photos/recordings from a distance and posted the information to social media,” Commander Griffin stated in an email. “A family lost a father and a husband. Their personal tragedy should not have been broadcast publicly.”

This is a difficult time for everyone, and every person is stressed. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, there are people out there who want to help. You can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).