A highly respected Canadian police officer shot himself dead at the central police station in Hamilton.

Staff Sergeant Ian Matthews has been among the high-profile officers in the department for 25 years. CBC News confirmed that Sgt Matthews shot himself at the King William Street station at around 1 pm on Tuesday. He passed away in the hospital about 9 hours later.

Halton police cruisers are seen outside the Hamilton Police Service central station after around 5 hours of the incident had taken place. Halton police are presently investigating the cause of the incident. According to the Hamilton Spectator, the incident took place in one of the locker rooms.

Sgt Matthews had served in different role in his extensive tenure of service which included his extended service in the BEAR (break and enter, auto theft and robbery branch). He also worked with the homicide units. He recently served as the Central D Squad staff sergeant.

Hamilton police Chief Glenn De Caire told CBC News that the incident is 'devastating' as he believed that the incident would make a strong influence on the organisation. The department is presently in the process of supporting Sgt Matthews' family. The critical incident response team is continuously working on supporting the members, he said.

The chief admitted that Sgt Matthews' reputation was of high order. A statement issued just after the tragic death says that the department respects the tenacity and commitment Sgt Matthews showed to his service. The department is also going to work in honouring his life of dedication.

According to police sources available to CBC News, Sgt Matthews was one of the best in the service. He was "one of our all-stars", the source said. Sgt Matthews was equally respected by the courts and by some of the hard-core criminals he arrested during his service.

Bob Bratina, the mayor of Hamilton, expressed his concern, sympathy and care of every Hamiltonian. He said that his prayers were with Sgt Matthews, his family and the department.