A 29-year-old male Singapore Police officer was found with a gunshot wound to his head outside Marina Bay Sands yesterday morning (19 September).
The Singapore Police Force said in a statement issued yesterday (19 September) that the officer had reported for duty earlier that morning.
He then drew his service pistol from the armoury, before heading to the boardwalk at 1 Bayfront Avenue, which is the address of MBS.
The police were later alerted to three gunshots going off at the area at about 9.44am, and the police officer was later found with a gunshot wound to his head.
SPF further stated that the deceased was believed to have fired two shots in the air before shooting himself on the right side of his head.
He was conveyed to the hospital unconscious, and later pronounced dead.
They added that there were no other reported injuries from the incident, and the service pistol that the officer had drawn from the armoury was found at the scene.
Officers trained to identity symptoms of distress
The case has been classified by the police as an unnatural death, and they are currently investigating the incident.
The Police said that the deceased officer had joined the police force in September 2014, and was an officer from the Central Police Division.
They said that based on their preliminary investigations, the officer “had not sought help from his unit, supervisors or counsellors.”
SPF added that their officers undergo training by the Police Psychological Services Department (PPSD) on how to identify possible signs and symptoms of distress, as well as learn basic coping skills.
They added that their officers are also informed of the accessible resources for them if they are in distress and assistance, including internal and external sources.
Each unit in the police force has para-counsellors trained in basic counselling to help identify officers who are distressed and provide necessary support.
Police officers can also opt for face to face counselling with their in-house psychologists, or consult external counsellors.
They also added that the best practices on safeguarding mental health and well being, as well as other resrouced, are regularly shared with officers via internal communications channels.
The police also appeals to the public not to circulate the images or videos of the deceased out of respect for his family.
Seek help
If you are someone or know someone that is in need of help you can call the following numbers for assistance:
- Samaritans of Singapore (24 hrs): 1800-221-4444
- Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019
- Institute of Mental Health Mobile Crisis Service (24 hrs): 6389-2222
- National Care Hotline: 1800-202-6868
- Tinkle Friend Helpline (for primary school-aged children): 1800-274-4788