Mr. Garvey, 47, had been with the North Riverside Police Department for 24 years. He was chief of police for eight years until his demotion and replacement less than a month ago by the west suburb's new mayor.
Garvey lived in nearby Brookfield. This morning at 7:40 a neighbor called police there to report a possible shooting. "He was in uniform on the garage floor and at this time it appears one gunshot wound to the head" said Brookfield Police Chief Steven Stelter. He said the gun "appears to be a small caliber revolver."
In a statement, the West Suburban Chiefs of Police Association said: "We have lost a dear friend and valued colleague. Tony took his own life this morning and our grief and confusion at this time are little compared to what his family must be feeling. Our hearts and prayers go out to them."
The Cook County Medical Examiner now has the case.
On May 13 the North Riverside Village Board named Lane Niemann as chief to replace Garvey who was kept on the command staff at the rank of commander. Niemann has been with the department for 29-years.
Other than a change of direction, there was little offered by the mayor-elect Hubert Hermanek Jr. to explain the sudden shake-up. Hermanek was elected mayor on April 9.
At the time of the change, Mr. Garvey said he was looking forward to his new role and proud of his accomplishments as chief.
Prior to joining North Riverside he worked as a police officer and emergency medical technician for the Brookfield Zoo, according to Garvey's LinkedIn page.
"Tony was a good friend of mine" said Brookfield's Chief Stetler, "all of us in the law enforcement community are shocked and will miss him terribly. He was a dedicated professional and the North Riverside Police Department was very fortunate to have him for the past 28 years. I am very saddened by this tragic event."
