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Danish police officer taunted suicidal man
TheCopenhagenPost
January 19th, 2016
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This article is more than 8 years old.
A distraught man got jokes and insults instead of help when he called emergency services
One Danish cop was not very helpful to a suicidal man (photo: 10-20.dk)
A man threatening suicide did not get much help when he called emergency services and told them he was considering taking his own life by cutting his wrists.
Rather than help, the on-duty police officer taunted the desperate man and asked him to take his life in a way that didn’t make too much of a mess.
A Rigspolitiet disciplinary report described the officer’s insensitivity as “both unprofessional and unfair”. The officer was fined 1,000 kroner for what the report called a “very serious lack of judgment”.
Don’t make a mess
According to the report, the policeman asked the man how he would kill himself: “Will you will eat bad fish until you choke or what?”
When the man responded that he would slice his wrists and put a plastic bag over his head, the officer responded,
“Okay, just do it quietly. We don’t want any damn mess. The plastic bag is a good idea, but perhaps you should talk with a doctor before you do it,” the cop advised the suicidal man.
Abuse of position
The insensitive cop’s case was one of 22 disciplinary cases from 2014 that was settled with a fine.
READ MORE: Viral video appears to show police brutality
In another case, a police officer voluntarily paid a 2,000 kroner fine after being accused of abusing his position by wearing his police uniform while distributing samples from a skincare company that he runs.
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