Police officer, 29, dead with gunshot wound at Bayfront Ave, no foul play suspected
UPDATE: More details on the police officer were released by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) on Monday evening.
SINGAPORE — A 29-year-old male police officer was found with a gunshot wound at near Marina Bay Sands on Monday (19 September) morning and later pronounced dead.
The officer had reported for duty on Monday morning, and had drawn his service pistol from the armoury. He later went to the boardwalk along Bayfront Avenue, near Marina Bay Sands.
At 9.44am, police were alerted to three gunshots heard along Bayfront Avenue.
The officer was later found with a gunshot wound to his head. He was believed to have fired two shots into the air, before firing the third shot to the right side of his head.
The officer was conveyed unconscious to the hospital, where he was subsequently pronounced dead. No other person was reported to be injured. The service pistol was found at the scene.
Police have classified the case as unnatural death, and investigations are ongoing. Based on preliminary investigations, they do not suspect foul play.
Not sought help from unit, supervisors or counsellors
The officer had joined the police force in September 2014 and is an officer with Central Police Division. Based on preliminary checks, he had not sought help from his unit, supervisors, or counsellors.
Police said in a media release on Monday evening that SPF officers undergo training by the Police Psychological Services Department on how to identify possible signs and symptoms of distress and learn basic coping skills. They are also informed of the resources they can access should they need assistance in coping with their distress.
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.
The police would like to appeal to members of the public not to circulate videos or images of the deceased out of respect for his family.
If you have thoughts of suicide or are feeling distressed, you can call SOS' 24-hour hotline at 1800 221 4444. You can also email pat@sos.org.sg.
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