WA: Police officer shoots himself at police station

AAP General News (Australia)
12-23-2008
WA: Police officer shoots himself at police station

PERTH, Dec 23 AAP - The shooting death of a police officer at a West Australian police
station was a tragic event in the lead-up to Christmas, WA Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan
says.

Police said the 36-year-old police sergeant from Collie, south of Perth, shot himself
with a police issue firearm in the station's armoury room on Monday.

The officer left behind a wife and four young children and they and his fellow officers
were being offered counselling, a police spokesman said.

WA Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan said local officers were shocked.

"This has affected all of the police officers and their families," he told ABC Radio.

"It's a very tragic situation that's occurred at a difficult time of the year when
we're moving up to Christmas."

The officer joined the force in 1993 and had been stationed in Collie for 12 months,
a spokesman said.

An internal police unit was investigating the death but it was not being treated as suspicious.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline
on 13 11 14 or SANE Helpline on 1800 18 SANE (7263) or visit www.beyondblue.org.au.

AAP was/jj/cdh

KEYWORD: OFFICER

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