TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A 23-year-old police officer in New Taipei City shot himself in an act of suicide, carried out inside Luzhou District’s Longyuan precinct station on Friday (Sept. 9).

The young man surnamed Hsu (許) was found by his colleagues after firing his police-issued firearm inside a station bathroom at 10:06 p.m. They immediately rushed him to a nearby hospital.

Remarkably, after receiving emergency care, doctors recovered some vital signs and placed him on life support in the ICU. His family members were able to visit the hospital on Saturday (Sept. 10), although Hsu remained unresponsive.

Hsu’s condition did not improve and a decision was made early Sunday (Sept. 11) morning to remove him from life support.

On the night of the incident, Hsu complained of “stomach pains” to fellow officers on duty and left his desk multiple times to use the bathroom. After the gunshot was heard from the bathroom, officers rushed to knock down the door, where they found Hsu with a gunshot wound to his head, per UDN.

According to reports, Hsu separated from his previous girlfriend in June of this year, which marked a change in his behavior.

The Luzhou Police Department, which Hsu joined in October 2020, expressed its condolences to the officer’s friends and relatives. It will also arrange for the officer’s funeral as well as counseling for family members.

Those considering suicide should immediately call the Taiwan Suicide Prevention Center at 1925 or Taiwan Lifeline International at 1995. Foreign residents can call the Community Services Center's emergency hotline at 0932-594-578, 24 hours a day.