Police officer shoots himself dead

[Thaivisa News]

Buriram: – Lieutenant Sompoj Phetlert, 42, has died of gunshot wound in the head he inflicted on himself following a long period of mental and physical illnesses, police said.

Sompoj served at Huai Rat police station before his death.

Lieutenant Samret Raksawattana, duty officer and Sompoj’s colleague, went to investigate the incident after receiving a report about the gunfire.

At the scene, Samret found a pool of blood and collected a pistol and a bullet case as evidence. The victim was already rushed to the hospital.

The attempt to resuscitate the victim was not successful and he died at the hospital.

The victim’s wife Phatra Phetlert, 42, told police that she was about to step out of the house to open her shop in the morning when she heard a single gunfire near the bathroom.

Phatra went to investigate and found her husband barely alive and lying on the floor with the gun dropped nearby his body.

She said she believed the husband had shot himself and that she then alerted the neighbours and relatives to help her taking him to the hospital.

She also stated that the incident happened just one day before a doctor’s appointment to check on the progress of mental treatment.

The victim had mental illness for years. He used to be admitted for a year-long treatment at a mental facility.

Following his hospital discharge, he still had to report for follow-up checks on a regular basis.

Recently he was also receiving treatment for muscle weakness.

Last month, his superior officer granted him long-term sick leave to enable him to focus and recover from illnesses.

But he complained to his wife that he would rather die than live as an invalid.

The wife said she tried to nurse and give him hope for full recovery. She said she did not think her husband would have killed himself and left her to raise their two children alone.

[jerojero]

Long term well known mentally ill, but not taken off the force and keeps his service revolver. Yep. TIT

[catman20]

nice for him to exit this world and leave his wife to raise their 2 children alone

[noikrit]

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nice for him to exit this world and leave his wife to raise their 2 children alone

Better then taking the whole family with him .... Good Luck to the wife and children !

[ChrisY1]

I'm sure there must be hundreds of mentally ill police out there!

[bangon04]

Long term well known mentally ill, but not taken off the force and keeps his service revolver. Yep. TIT

I believe they have to buy their own guns, so the chances are it is not his "service revolver", but a quaint idea nevertheless.

[Docno]

Wonder how many "TIT"s we'll see in this thread compared to RIPs .... <please pass on the puerile jokes about the first acronym - that's not what I'm getting at>

[Oziex1]

Oh please we deride the police here constantly and often for good reason, so one suffers from depression and takes his own life and some expect sympathy and respect.

And BTW I have suffered from depression, it's not much fun.

Edited May 7, 2015 by Oziex1

[Rod Wallop]

I'm sure there must be hundreds of mentally ill police out there!

I've never encountered one that wasn't

[casualbiker]

Long term well known mentally ill, but not taken off the force and keeps his service revolver. Yep. TIT

I believe they have to buy their own guns, so the chances are it is not his "service revolver", but a quaint idea nevertheless.

Doesn't take away from the fact that a police officer known for mental illness was still working the front lines and not retired to the office.. It's kinda scary. No?

[dean008]

poor soul. RIP

[lvr181]

Condolences to his family.

[DILLIGAD]

Condolences. It may have been a "family" gun and nothing to do with his work (possibly)

[greenchair]

Not all police are bad.

They do their best under very difficult circumstances.

Rip

[joshstiles]

tragic.....but whats more tragic is the truly caveman approach to treating mental illness in thailand...

but then caveman do what caveman do

[joshstiles]

tragic.....but whats more tragic is the truly caveman approach to treating mental illness in thailand...

but then caveman do what caveman do

[Shiver]

I wouldn't use the fact that he was previously in uniform as a reason to dismiss that the guy was suffering an illness. Any way you choose to assess a society there are good and bad in any strata. There's no evidence at all in the above report that he has done any wrong to anyone other than perhaps the domestic situation he left behind as a result of his decision to exit.

I've met good cops and bad cops, here and elsewhere, though I don't think it's pertinent information for this report. He's gone now anyhow, so all we can do is have our thoughts with his family.

[willyumiii]

tragic.....but whats more tragic is the truly caveman approach to treating mental illness in thailand...

but then caveman do what caveman do

I strongly disagree with your statement.

My Thai wife while in America, had a mental break down..

The American medical system,s idea of treatment was to prescribe about 20 different drugs per day that kept her a zombie, only able to sit and stare,and not function at all.

They only tried to prevent her from being a danger to herself and others and not to recover from her illness at all!

I won't even start to discuss the astronomical cost of the "medical care" in the U.!!!!

We knew of a friend in Thailand who had had a simular problem and responded very well to her treatment in the Thai medical system.

We took a gamble and relocated to Thailand for what we hoped would be better treatment at a reasonable price.

Within a month of starting treatment in Thailand, my wife had made amazing progress and was only required to take one pill per day.

Within a year, she was fully recovered and now only checks in with her doctor every 6 months.

Being a Thai citizen her treatment cost us almost nothing!

We are very pleased with the results.

She is now fully functional, working and happy again.

If still in theU.S., I fear she would still be a disabled zombie with unbelievable medical expenses.

Doctors here in Thailand don't seem to drive mercedes or spend most of their time playing golf, but they do seem to get the job done.

Your comment leads me to believe that it is you who is the caveman.

Do you have any experience dealing with mental illness,

or are you just another TV keyboard warrior, who loves Thai bashing??

.

[catweazle]

Happens all over the world. Good that he went alone. Thai bashing absolutely unnecessary and unacceptable for this thread in my opinion.

RIP to the poor soul.

[bendejo]

Working in an inherently corrupt organization like that, the duplicity can push someone over the edge. Especially if they were a little uncertain of things beforehand.

[lostinisaan]

tragic.....but whats more tragic is the truly caveman approach to treating mental illness in thailand...

but then caveman do what caveman do

I strongly disagree with your statement.

My Thai wife while in America, had a mental break down..

The American medical system,s idea of treatment was to prescribe about 20 different drugs per day that kept her a zombie, only able to sit and stare,and not function at all.

They only tried to prevent her from being a danger to herself and others and not to recover from her illness at all!

I won't even start to discuss the astronomical cost of the "medical care" in the U.!!!!

We knew of a friend in Thailand who had had a simular problem and responded very well to her treatment in the Thai medical system.

We took a gamble and relocated to Thailand for what we hoped would be better treatment at a reasonable price.

Within a month of starting treatment in Thailand, my wife had made amazing progress and was only required to take one pill per day.

Within a year, she was fully recovered and now only checks in with her doctor every 6 months.

Being a Thai citizen her treatment cost us almost nothing!

We are very pleased with the results.

She is now fully functional, working and happy again.

If still in theU.S., I fear she would still be a disabled zombie with unbelievable medical expenses.

Doctors here in Thailand don't seem to drive mercedes or spend most of their time playing golf, but they do seem to get the job done.

Your comment leads me to believe that it is you who is the caveman.

Do you have any experience dealing with mental illness,

or are you just another TV keyboard warrior, who loves Thai bashing??

.

Very sorry to hear that and I truly hope that she'll make a full recovery without any medication. My wife's younger brother, whose wife had left him with two kids, was trying to commit suicide twice, they've tried Electroshock therapy and he's to take his daily medication.

I find it hard to believe that there're people out there who make jokes about people suffering of such an illness.

[Colabamumbai]

Saving face.