It occurs so infrequently that there is not even a Dutch term for ' suicide by cop '. Suicide through an agent is perhaps best in the neighborhood. And it seems that the Monday shot dead Mitchel Winters (21) such a scenario had in mind.
The recherche and the public prosecution service (OM) that examine the death of Winters, keep serious consideration that he directed his own death. Winters called 112 to report the robbery itself and gave its own description.
If so, is that for Netherlands very exceptional. According to Jaap Timmer, lecturer and security at the free University and specialized in violence by and against the police, is it really an exceptional situation. "That comes once in four years."
US and CANADA research by Timmer show that in about 5 percent of the fatal shooting incidents there is a degree of structure of the victim in the game would be. In the United States and Canada is provoking a fatal shooting a better known phenomenon. Police scientists estimate that in 10 to 20 percent of the fatal incidents suicide a motive was.
The victims usually behaved aggressively and threatened with a weapon (fire) or some other form of violence directed against the police or bystanders. So they forced agents to end up unwittingly their death wish.
After the death remains the often guess at the topic of the victim, especially when there is no suicide note is left behind. But mental health problems often play an important role. It comes in addition regularly for that victims have said that they want to do ' something ' really remarkable.
MARTYR Or have the desire to be a martyr. Mohammed b. for example, went he would die after he had murdered Theo van Gogh. From the letter which Van Gogh was found on the body, it turned out that he even hoped. In the end, b. during a shootout not killed, but shot in the leg.
"Ultimately, always plays with it that people have a death wish," said Timmer. "In any case at that time. There are cases that people survived and the agents there later for thanked. The reverse is also for, victims who were angry that they were still alive. "
TRAINING In North America and England get police officers have training to deal with. And although that in practice often turns out to be very difficult, they also learn to recognize the signals of a death wish.
Netherlands ' suicide by cop ' comes in so little that no special attention to is here. "It is also very very complicated to this to estimate," said Timmer. "Certainly if there is a risk for agents, or bystanders, and acted very quickly. Then it may happen that someone who wants to be dead goal. "
By Metro: Editorial Photo: REUTERS
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