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A 29-year-old Chiba prefectural police officer apparently committed suicide on Tuesday by shooting himself with his own handgun.
Yasushi Yamada, who worked at Funabashi police station, was found dead at a vacant house at around 8 a.m. Tuesday, Fuji TV reported. He was bleeding from a gunshot wound to the head and his handgun was still in his right hand, police said.
According to police, Yamada disappeared while he was on duty with another officer at a nearby koban on Monday night.
A Funabashi police spokesman said there was nothing unusual about Yamada's work behavior and that he left no suicide note.
© Japan Today
12 Comments
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Commodore Shmidlap (Retired)
People are already stressed out enough just working office jobs here with all the pressures. Now imagine working as a cop. You see practically nothing but the seediest aspects of life. Kind of like reading the crime articles on Japan Today, only you're actually involved. Mental health care is severely lacking and even when it's available people are too reluctant to seek it out. Sometimes you're not even sure how deeply depressed you truly are.
HongoTAFEinmate
Policing is a thankless task. Long hours, poor pay, high levels of stress and often interactions with people at their worst. It is also very difficult to convey to others what the job means - normal folk just don't understand. Incidents like this are very sad. Unfortunately, however, they are hardly surprising.
ohara
another one??
danalawton1@yahoo.com
Apparent suicide. Ok... Although I do hope the Chiba Police Department investigates this. What if some organized crime group abducted him and made it look like a suicide.
Fadamor
Has there been a problem with police misusing the guns on civilians?
toshiko
@keika1628OCT. 28, 2015 - 07:34PM JST we don't need gun armed police in Japan, Tasers & sticks are enough.
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
I agree with you.
Stephan Lawarie
Rest in peace Yamada San
keika1628
we don't need gun armed police in Japan, Tasers & sticks are enough.
sensei258
Clamenza is right. Once suicidal people have made the decision to end their lives, they are often happy or relieved since they believe all their problems are over.
clamenza
It means he showed no signs of anxiety or depression. Its quite normal of many who have made the decision to take their lives.
Disillusioned
Because there was nothing unusual does this mean that all police are suicidal?
TheGodfather
Hmmmmm...