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Cop Fatally Shoots Self Outside Brooklyn Precinct House
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Nov 1, 2013
Modified Nov 1, 2013
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By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Nov 1, 2013
Modified Nov 1, 2013
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A police officer fatally shot himself outside a Brooklyn station house yesterday, law enforcement officials said.
Cops have not yet identified the 41-year-old officer, but they confirmed that he fatally shot himself outside the 66th Precinct Station House in Borough Park around 7:30 p.m. last night. The Post reports the officer, who had just made a robbery arrest, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head in his car, which was parked just outside the station house on 16th Ave near 59th Street.
"I was down the block and heard two funny noises, like firecrackers exploding,” witness Efriam Baruch, 15, told the Daily News. “I ran over to see what happened and I see all of this action, cops running out of the precinct to a car. It looked like someone was in the car.”
The officer was a sergeant, had just been transferred to the precinct a few days ago and was reportedly set to receive his detective's badge soon. Law enforcement sources tell the Daily News they were shocked by the apparent suicide. "People always say, ‘The signs, the signs,’ but there were no signs," an officer said.
Cop suicides are rare, but not unheard of. A number of officers have taken their own lives over the years, and in a tragic incident in June, off-duty officer Sherlon Smikle fatally shot his wife on a Queens sidewalk before turning the gun on himself.
If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide: do not leave the person alone, remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt, and call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional.
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