Jõhvi man takes his own life using knife during police visit
Around two hours of negotiations in the Ida-Viru County town of Jõhvi between the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) and a man refusing to cooperate with the authorities ended up with the man taking his own life, Delfi reported.
The PPA had attempted to calm the 36-year-old down and disarm him, in negotiations which lasted over two hours, but ultimately to no avail and the man took his own life using a knife.
The PPA officers immediately began providing life-saving first aid, but unfortunately the man's self-inflicted injuries were so severe that he died at the scene," noted Rainet Juuse, Eastern Prefecture operational manager.
Juuse said that when the police arrived at the man's door, while the man did answer, he refused to cooperate and let the officers enter, placing a knife to his own throat – first responders were summoned also "since the man has previously been aggressive towards the police," Juuse said, adding while he ultimately permitted the PPA personnel into his property, he continued to threaten self-harm, holding the knife alternatively to his throat and stomach.
"The man behaved inappropriately, did not obey the police officers' orders to put down the knife, and to cool the situation, the emergency responder also used a Taser on him," Juuse went on, adding tasing the individual did not alter the situation.
The PPA patrol had been called a little after 8.45 a.m. on Sunday morning to the property on Kaare tänav in Jõhvi, after the man had not responded to repeated calls from a PPA investigator to attend the local station – this followed a callout involving the same individual on the night of February 27 at a bar on nearby Rakvere tänav, where the man had behaved aggressively towards bystanders.
The arrival of the PPA officers had not had any calming effect during this incident either, and the man reportedly headbutted a PPA vehicle, causing a dent in the bodywork; he was detained in Viru Prison while proceedings were initiated against him.
It was these procedural actions which the man had not responded to which prompted the PPA to attend the Kaare property, after an arrest warrant had been issued.
Juuse said PPA and forensic experts are still working at the scene and collecting additional information to establish the facts of the matter, and providing support to relatives of the deceased and to personnel affected by the incident.
--
Editor: Andrew Whyte
Source: Delfi
