Suicide by cop

**4V50 Gary** · April 12, 2025, 12:16 PM

Pretty clear case of sucide by cop.

Man brandishes firearm at construction workers and an Orkin Pest Control man shelters behind his truck. Police move in and man refuses the orders to lower his weapon.

Bet his life went down the toilet and he wanted it over. I wonder if it was job loss (over his head in debt), divorce or wife left him, dog bit the cat?

https://youtu.be/IPAqQPQ_3Dw?si=tJ-K3FgRAdf67Ofy

Where were all the brave social workers/violence interventionalist who were supposed to be around after Defund the Police movement? Oh wait, they were hiding in their offices.

jmr40 · April 12, 2025, 06:07 PM

Don't forget the cop who pulled the trigger. We had a young adult male who did something similar over a girl who broke up with him. Held her hostage and when the cops got there pointed the gun at officers.

The guy was late teens, or early 20's. I knew him and his dad. The dad understood that his son was no good and was OK with what happened. Mom couldn't let go and accused the cop of murder often and loudly around town. Coroner ruled it suicide by cop and it was a good shoot by any standard.

Couple of years later the cop who shot him committed suicide.

bamaranger · April 12, 2025, 11:13 PM

Similar incident here in N. Alabama in recent weeks. Guy phones the PD switch board and states he's coming down and shoot the place up. Arrives in the parking lot, and waits for officers to arrive, then exits and begins to engage the building exterior. Suspect was supposedly normal dude.....then slipped a cog somehow. No officers injured, suspect deceased.

stagpanther · April 13, 2025, 06:02 AM

Makes you wonder why they just don't shoot themselves?

Ricklin · April 13, 2025, 12:39 PM

The suicide by cop thing is mostly about the victim making a statement or sending a message.
The only message they send is they are unbalanced and in need of a mental health professional. Suicide is the most selfish act a person can commit.

**44 AMP** · April 13, 2025, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Suicide is the most selfish act a person can commit.

I have to disagree about that.
I don't think it is the most, or the worst selfish act a person can commit.
Its simply the last one....

Paul B. · April 13, 2025, 05:02 PM

"Makes you wonder why they just don't shoot themselves?"

Possibly for religious beliefs? Some of the Christian churches teach that a suicide will go to hell. Maybe they think if the cop pulls the trigger then they really didn't off themselves. I guess we'll really never know.
Paul B.

Screwball · April 14, 2025, 01:42 AM

We had one at work… the other officer told him twice to keep his hands on the wheel. Seeing him digging in the console for the third time, I yelled at him (half out of the holster)… then had the other guy take him out of the car because we weren’t playing this game today.

An officer was talking to him afterwards, saying he was confused. He got lost, spun around before Canada customs and came to us. He had hospital discharge paperwork that said he had intentions for suicide by cop… gave more specifics, which I wouldn’t go into… but was a really troubled kid. We told him to head home, I want to say one of the Carolinas but definitely east coast. Told him that he was in northern ME, moving into winter. Don’t want him to get stuck and freeze to death. Made contact with his family, and got them to talk to him prior to leaving.

Never heard about him again, so I’d like to say he made it home.

**4V50 Gary** · April 14, 2025, 09:56 AM

jmr40 does raise a valid point about the mental health of the officer fired the fatal shot. Everyone is different and one must believe that the life of others are in jeopardy if the shot isn't taken. Basically it is the lesser of two evils. Not everyone is capable of killing or the consequences. I know two guys who have (one of whom has three kills) and they're at peace with it.

MuzzleBlast · April 22, 2025, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Suicide is the most selfish act a person can commit.

I will add that it is among the most cowardly acts a person can do

**44 AMP** · April 22, 2025, 05:33 PM

Quote:

I will add that it is among the most cowardly acts a person can do

I think that would be highly situational.

deadcoyote · June 16, 2025, 07:48 PM

In my law enforcement career I was fortunate enough to witness a few of these firsthand but they all ended with less than lethal fortunately. They are happening more and more and it’s very frustrating when folks say “oh they should have shot his foot or shot the gun out of his hand”.

To add some humor I did get to witness a man once attempt suicide by cop by taking a dairy cow hostage with a butcher knife in a field saying if we didn’t shoot him he’d kill the cow. Assisting agency beanbagged him twice and he was a wreck. I got to see him the day after when he was changing for arraignment and those bean bag rounds messed him up pretty severely.

**4V50 Gary** · June 17, 2025, 08:13 PM

Orange County Deputy rushed by knife wielding assailant. Deputy lives but assailant didn't. I'm glad it turned out well for the deputy. A crisis counselor or whatever they call those non-violence interventionalist substitutes for the police would have been a stabbing victim here. https://x.com/unlimited_ls/status/1934767088591134971

April 12, 2025, 12:16 PM	#1
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 22,294	Suicide by cop Pretty clear case of sucide by cop. Man brandishes firearm at construction workers and an Orkin Pest Control man shelters behind his truck. Police move in and man refuses the orders to lower his weapon. Bet his life went down the toilet and he wanted it over. I wonder if it was job loss (over his head in debt), divorce or wife left him, dog bit the cat? https://youtu.be/IPAqQPQ_3Dw?si=tJ-K3FgRAdf67Ofy Where were all the brave social workers/violence interventionalist who were supposed to be around after Defund the Police movement? Oh wait, they were hiding in their offices. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

April 12, 2025, 06:07 PM	#2
jmr40 Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,973	Don't forget the cop who pulled the trigger. We had a young adult male who did something similar over a girl who broke up with him. Held her hostage and when the cops got there pointed the gun at officers. The guy was late teens, or early 20's. I knew him and his dad. The dad understood that his son was no good and was OK with what happened. Mom couldn't let go and accused the cop of murder often and loudly around town. Coroner ruled it suicide by cop and it was a good shoot by any standard. Couple of years later the cop who shot him committed suicide. __________________ "If you're still doing things the same way you were doing them 10 years ago, you're doing it wrong" Winston Churchill

April 12, 2025, 11:13 PM	#3
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,788	similar Similar incident here in N. Alabama in recent weeks. Guy phones the PD switch board and states he's coming down and shoot the place up. Arrives in the parking lot, and waits for officers to arrive, then exits and begins to engage the building exterior. Suspect was supposedly normal dude.....then slipped a cog somehow. No officers injured, suspect deceased.

April 13, 2025, 06:02 AM	#4
stagpanther Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2014 Posts: 12,907	Makes you wonder why they just don't shoot themselves? __________________ "Everyone speaks gun."--Robert O'Neill *I am NOT an expert--I do not have any formal experience or certification in firearms use or testing; use any information I post at your own risk!*

April 13, 2025, 12:39 PM	#5
Ricklin Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2008 Location: SW Washington state Posts: 2,374	Somehow making a statement The suicide by cop thing is mostly about the victim making a statement or sending a message. The only message they send is they are unbalanced and in need of a mental health professional. Suicide is the most selfish act a person can commit. __________________ ricklin Freedom is not free

April 13, 2025, 05:02 PM	#7
Paul B. Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 1999 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,928	"Makes you wonder why they just don't shoot themselves?" Possibly for religious beliefs? Some of the Christian churches teach that a suicide will go to hell. Maybe they think if the cop pulls the trigger then they really didn't off themselves. I guess we'll really never know. Paul B. __________________ COMPROMISE IS NOT AN OPTION!

April 14, 2025, 01:42 AM	#8
Screwball Senior Member Join Date: May 16, 2012 Location: ME Posts: 824	Suicide by cop We had one at work… the other officer told him twice to keep his hands on the wheel. Seeing him digging in the console for the third time, I yelled at him (half out of the holster)… then had the other guy take him out of the car because we weren’t playing this game today. An officer was talking to him afterwards, saying he was confused. He got lost, spun around before Canada customs and came to us. He had hospital discharge paperwork that said he had intentions for suicide by cop… gave more specifics, which I wouldn’t go into… but was a really troubled kid. We told him to head home, I want to say one of the Carolinas but definitely east coast. Told him that he was in northern ME, moving into winter. Don’t want him to get stuck and freeze to death. Made contact with his family, and got them to talk to him prior to leaving. Never heard about him again, so I’d like to say he made it home.

April 14, 2025, 09:56 AM	#9
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 22,294	jmr40 does raise a valid point about the mental health of the officer fired the fatal shot. Everyone is different and one must believe that the life of others are in jeopardy if the shot isn't taken. Basically it is the lesser of two evils. Not everyone is capable of killing or the consequences. I know two guys who have (one of whom has three kills) and they're at peace with it. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

June 16, 2025, 07:48 PM	#12
deadcoyote Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2009 Location: northern CA Posts: 724	In my law enforcement career I was fortunate enough to witness a few of these firsthand but they all ended with less than lethal fortunately. They are happening more and more and it’s very frustrating when folks say “oh they should have shot his foot or shot the gun out of his hand”. To add some humor I did get to witness a man once attempt suicide by cop by taking a dairy cow hostage with a butcher knife in a field saying if we didn’t shoot him he’d kill the cow. Assisting agency beanbagged him twice and he was a wreck. I got to see him the day after when he was changing for arraignment and those bean bag rounds messed him up pretty severely.

June 17, 2025, 08:13 PM	#13
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 22,294	Orange County Deputy rushed by knife wielding assailant. Deputy lives but assailant didn't. I'm glad it turned out well for the deputy. A crisis counselor or whatever they call those non-violence interventionalist substitutes for the police would have been a stabbing victim here. https://x.com/unlimited_ls/status/1934767088591134971 __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*