Ex-NYPD Detective William McGruff died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, the state medical examiner's office said this afternoon.
McGruff, better known as "McGruff The Crime Dog," a popular Saturday morning cartoon character from the 1980s, was found dead yesterday morning at a motel in upstate New York.
"There were no indications of any drug use found inside the room," the Dutchess County Police Department said in a statement. "A toxicology test was performed on the body, however it may take up to six weeks to get the results back."
According to a Dutchess County police spokesman, personnel at Taconic Motor Lodge discovered the Staten Island native in his room at about 11 a.m.
McGruff, 61, rose to fame in the late 1970's as a cartoon spokesperson for the NYPD, reminding the cartoon-watching public that "[Drug] Users Are Losers," and encouraging children to stay out of trouble with his trademark phrase "Take A Bite Out Of Crime."
After CBS opted not to renew his contract in 1991, McGruff returned to active duty in the 43rd Precinct, where he supervised the Narcotics Unit for the next fifteen years.
McGruff was suspended indefinitely in September 2006 for failing to comply with the NYPD's substance-abuse policy. He was suspended for refusing to submit to required testing following a botched drug raid that left 4 police officers and 15 innocent bystanders dead.
That had been McGruff's second violation of the NYPD's drug policy for reinstatement. He was first suspended in March 2004 for testing positive for controlled substances. He was reinstated to active duty in June 2006, with part of the conditions being an agreement that he submit to periodic drug testing at anytime.
"He would not submit to a drug test. We even gave him some time to think about it," NYPD spokesman Jim Hunter told reporters in 2006.
McGruff is survived by a daughter, Maureen, who could not be reached for comment.
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