Tragedy Defined

"Today is another bad day." – Fortune, Metal Gear Solid 2, Sons of Liberty

Late last night, the Philadelphia Police Department lost another active officer. Unfortunately, the events surrounding the loss are even more disturbing than usual. At approximately 9pm, an off-duty officer was involved in an auto accident while driving southbound on Interstate 95 approaching Callowhill Street. Three cars were involved, and there were injuries reported.

The off-duty officer (allegedly) was drunk.

When the Highway Patrol arrived on location, fire department personnel were cutting someone out of the other vehicle, so they asked the off-duty – who was allegedly at fault – to sit in the back of the police cruiser for his own safety. (The officer was standing on the highway as traffic was still passing by.) At the time, the off-duty officer was not under arrest, so he was not handcuffed. While sitting in the vehicle, the off-duty officer took out his personal firearm . . . and fatally shot himself.

Speculation from the officers at the scene is that the off-duty could see the firefighters using the Jaws of Life to extricate the people in the vehicle he struck, and – thinking he may have killed someone while driving drunk – decided to take his own life.

Either way, the entire situation is truly sad.