By Anthony Rifilato
Police discovered the man in his car on Thursday, Oct. 23 at 8:05 p.m., the victim of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The man's name was not released by police.
Lt. Andrew Fal said the case has been taken over by homicide detectives, and at press time police were not sure why the man shot himself or what he was doing in Baldwin. "He was on medication and despondent," said Fal, who added that the man was a former Baldwin resident.
Police said the man didn't leave a note, but his family said he had a history of depression and was taking anti-depressants. Fal said the man may have sat in his car for a few minutes after pulling into the lot and before pulling out a .22-caliber pistol and shooting himself. Police found him shortly afterward.
While the occurrence may be out of the ordinary for some at the First Precinct, the incident brought back a horrifying memory for Fal. Four or five years ago, he recalled, another man, a Baldwin resident, committed suicide at the Precinct. In that case, the victim was battling cancer and was in a wheelchair. Fal saw him in the parking lot and went over to help him after seeing the man lurching to the side, seemingly falling out of his wheelchair.
Then the man pointed a gun at Fal, and an instant later put the gun in his own mouth and pulled the trigger. "He didn't say a word," Fal recounted.
Fal said he isn't sure why someone would choose to commit suicide at a police precinct. "Maybe it's the draw of a police station," he said. "Maybe he thought someone would help him."
