Police being investigated for suicide

A SUCCESSFUL arrest in a housebreaking and theft case turned into tragedy for Police at Gibeon this weekend when the suspect committed suicide in the presence of Police officers.

Laurentius Philander (32) apparently stabbed himself to death with a pair of sheep shears at his home on Saturday after Police escorted him there to collect evidence in a case against him. According to the Police, Philander was arrested at around midday at the farm Silwer Ster, after charges of housebreaking and theft were laid against him in February.Directly after the arrest, Police say they took the suspect to his house so he could get the shoes he had apparently been wearing on the day the crime was committed.Police officers at the scene said that Philander had bent down and reached for what they believed were the shoes, when he instead pulled out the pair of shears and stabbed himself in the neck.He was apparently rushed to hospital, but died on the way there.The Namibian Police’s Complaints and Discipline Unit are investigating the incident to establish whether there was a possibility of negligence on the part of the NamPol members present.According to the Police, Philander was arrested at around midday at the farm Silwer Ster, after charges of housebreaking and theft were laid against him in February.Directly after the arrest, Police say they took the suspect to his house so he could get the shoes he had apparently been wearing on the day the crime was committed.Police officers at the scene said that Philander had bent down and reached for what they believed were the shoes, when he instead pulled out the pair of shears and stabbed himself in the neck.He was apparently rushed to hospital, but died on the way there.The Namibian Police’s Complaints and Discipline Unit are investigating the incident to establish whether there was a possibility of negligence on the part of the NamPol members present.