A 55-year-old South Korean police officer, who was being investigated for allegedly hiding the police’s inaction by deleting an intelligence report relating to the tragic Halloween crowd crush in Itaewon, was found dead at his home in Seoul, according to Yonhap News Agency.
The officer, Jeong, was found by a member of his family at about 12.45pm on 11 November.
Jeong was an intelligence officer of the Yongsan Police Station in the Itaewon district, which is being investigated for failing to respond properly to the crowd crush, along with the ward office and the fire station.
Jeong was suspected of hiding inaction by the authorities by deleting an internal intelligence report after the tragedy, which issued prior warnings of a safety accident during the period.
He was also charged with misusing his authority, destroying evidence and professional negligence that resulted in death.
The crowd crush at the Itaewon district on 29 October saw at least 156 people killed.
The national police commissioner of South Korea, General Yoon Hee-keun, said on 7 November that an intelligence chief at Yongsan Police Sation had ordered the records to be deleted, and would be investigated, according to Reuters.
Jeong’s death is currently being investigated.