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On Monday morning (Sep. 19), a 29-year-old male police officer was found with a gunshot wound to his head along 1 Bayfront Avenue.
He reported for duty that morning
In a statement issued on Monday (Sep. 19) night, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said that the officer had reported for duty that morning, and had drawn his service pistol from the armoury.
He later went to the boardwalk along 1 Bayfront Avenue.
At 9:44am, the police were alerted to three gunshots heard along 1 Bayfront Avenue.
The officer was later found with a gunshot wound to his head, said SPF.
He was believed to have fired two shots into the air, before firing the third shot to the right side of his head, according to the police statement.
The officer was then conveyed unconscious to the hospital, where he was subsequently pronounced dead.
No other person was reported to be injured, and the service pistol was found at scene.
Classified as unnatural death
The police have classified the case as unnatural death, and investigations are ongoing.
Based on preliminary investigations, the police do not suspect foul play.
According to SPF, the officer had joined the Force in September 2014. He was an officer with Central Police Division.
SPF said that based on preliminary checks, the officer "had not sought help from his unit, supervisors, or counsellors".
SPF added:
"SPF officers undergo training by the Police Psychological Services Department (PPSD) on how to identify possible signs and symptoms of distress and learn basic coping skills.
Officers are also informed of the resources they can access should they need assistance in coping with their distress. These include internal (e.g., PPSD, para-counsellors, 24/7 helpline service) and external resources.
For instance, each unit in the SPF has para-counsellors who are trained in basic counselling skills to help identify distressed officers and render necessary support. Officers can also go for face-to-face counselling with in-house psychologists or external counselling service providers.
At the same time, best practices on safeguarding mental health and well-being and other relevant resources, are shared regularly with officers via internal communications channels."
In its statement, SPF also appealed to members of the public not to circulate videos or images of the deceased out of respect for his family.
Helplines:
SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767
Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019
Institute of Mental Health: 6389-2222 (24 hours)
Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788 (for primary school-aged children)