Cleveland cop kills himself just hours after his undercover drug detective friend was murdered in the line of duty as city rallies in support of the 'thin blue line' flag to respect the slain officers

Cleveland police are reeling following the deaths of two officers just hours apart. 

Detective James Skernivitz, 53, was shot dead during a drug operation on Thursday night, before Officer Nick Sabo, 39, took his own life a short time later. 

The two cops were reportedly known to one another, and Sabo had posted about Skernivitz's death on social media before killing himself.    

'I don't think anybody out there can really understand what the division is going through,' Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams stated on Friday night, according to FOX 8. 

'The loss of an officer in the line of duty, especially to violence, is a terrible tragedy. But two officers in one night is really bad.'

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Cleveland police are reeling following the deaths of two officers just hours apart. Detective James Skernivitz (left) was shot dead during a drug operation on Thursday night, before Officer Nick Sabo (right) took his own life a short time later

Skernivitz - who had worked with the Cleveland Police Department since 1998 - was working on a drug operation on the city's west side Thursday night. 

He was reportedly sitting in an unmarked car with a drug informant identified as Scott Dingess, 50, when they were approached by three people around 10pm.  

Both Skernivitz and Dingess were shot dead. 

Two juveniles and an adult have been taken into custody for unrelated arrest warrants and are being questioned. Their names have not been released.  

'It could have been random, it could have been targeted,' Police Chief Williams stated Friday.

'We don't know. We're still investigating.'

Skernivitz had just joined a special FBI task force operation, according to The Associated Press. 

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Police officers gather at the scene where Detective Skernivitz, 53,  and drug informant Scott Dingess, 50, were killed late Thursday

The veteran cop and other law enforcement officers were sworn in Wednesday at the Cleveland FBI office to become members of the FBI´s Violent Crime Task Force in support of Operation Legend, a Justice Department effort to crack down on violent crime in a number of U.S. cities. 

U.S. Attorney General William Barr called Skernivitz's death 'a very sad day for the city of Cleveland and the entire law enforcement community.'

'It takes a special kind of courage to be a police officer,' Barr said.

'Our men and women in blue put their lives on the line day after day in order to keep us safe. We will not forget Detective Skernivitz and his life of service and sacrifice.'

It was the first time an on-duty Cleveland police officer had been fatally shot since February 2008. 

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Just hours later, the Department was left rocked by the suicide of Sabo (pictured), who had worked as an officer in the city since 2013

Just hours later, the Department was left rocked by the suicide of Sabo, who had worked as an officer in the city since 2013. 

The 39-year-old took his own life inside his home.  

Like Skernivitz, Sabo was married with children. A GoFundMe has been set up to raise funds for his widow. 

 The double tragedy comes amid a skirmish in the nearby city of Chardon, after a school district banned 'Blue Lives Matter' from being waved publicly.   

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According to WKYC, a Chardon high school football player carried the pro-police flag onto the field  last weekend, only for the school district's superintendent to banned the black and blue flag from display. 

 Dozens of supporters attended a rally outside the school on Friday, to show their support for the flag and to pay tribute to both Skernivitz and Sabo. 

'We're here to support the police, we need them, we need their protection,' one protester stated. 

'They need to know that most of us Americans, we stand behind them.'