Thai police probe suicide of deputy director after meal with colleagues
Closed-circuit surveillance footage has revealed the timeline of events leading up to the unfortunate demise of Police Lieutenant Colonel Wachira, Long Thai Song, the Deputy Director of the 2nd Army Division, also known as Berm.
After forensic examination and evidence collection by doctors from Phumiphol Hospital and police officials, the body was sent for an autopsy at the same hospital.
Brigadier General Jirapat Phumijitr, the commander of Police Division 1, stated that Wachira showed signs of stress, as he had been complaining during a meal with colleagues.
The signal of his intention to commit suicide is under investigation, starting with those he had been dining with. The officers who attended the meal will be called for questioning. The incident is deeply regrettable.
The incident occurred yesterday, September 11, at Wachira’s residence, following his return from a hotel. Jirapat mentioned that Wachira left the hotel alone and took a taxi home. The decision to stay at the hotel was made after a meal and discussion with colleagues, who suggested he stay nearby due to the distance from his home. All the colleagues parted ways at around 10pm.
Regarding the incident, the house was tightly closed, with no signs of forced entry or ransacking inside. The community surveillance camera showed that no one entered or exited the premises from around 4.50am, when Wichira returned home in a taxi, until the afternoon when a driver arrived and found no one else had passed by. The weapon used in the incident was Wichira’s own 9mm handgun, with two bullets – one fired and one in the chamber.
From the evidence gathered, it is speculated that the victim shot himself in a seated position, with the bullet casing found within the premises.
No suicide note was found at the scene. Investigations into any potential messages or information on his mobile phone are yet to begin. The autopsy results revealed that Wichira had been dead for approximately 12 hours, indicating death around 5am. The situation is under investigation by Khu Khot Station with a special task force set up by the Patumthani Provincial Police Station, reported Khaosod Online.
