Police Officer Left Gun Under Pillow: Employee of 'Veolia Water' Commits Suicide

The investigation is underway at the Abovyan Investigation Division of the Kotayk Regional Investigation Department, under the jurisdiction of the RA Investigative Committee, to clarify the circumstances surrounding the death of a man from a gunshot wound in an office belonging to 'Veolia Water' LLC.

On April 13, 2023, at 3:20 PM, the RA Police's Operational Control Center received a call from an ambulance group reporting that a man's body was discovered with a gunshot wound to the head in the 'Veolia Water' office located on Marshal Babajanyan Street in the Avan-Arinj neighborhood of Kotayk province.

A criminal case has been initiated based on Part 1 of Article 155 of the RA Criminal Code, and the investigation has been assigned to a dedicated investigative team. During the investigation, a site examination was conducted, during which a service pistol belonging to a police officer was found and seized near the body, along with a fired cartridge and bullet found in the same room. The clothing the officer wore at the time of the incident was also confiscated, and samples were taken from the body.

Expert examinations have been appointed, including forensic medical, forensic ballistics, forensic toxicological, forensic chemical, and forensic genetic examinations. Under the supervision of the prosecutor, the legal assessment of the alleged offenses has been amended in accordance with Part 2, Clause 5 of Article 162 and Part 1 of Article 337 of the RA Criminal Code.

The investigation revealed that on April 13, 2023, a police officer was on duty at the security post located near the main entrance of the warehouses belonging to 'Veolia Water' LLC in the Avan-Arinj neighborhood. The officer, in violation of legislation concerning the storage of firearms, did not secure the service weapon in a manner that would eliminate the possibility of it falling into the hands of unauthorized persons, and left the gun unattended. Specifically, he removed the service gun from its holster and placed it under a pillow.

After resting for around 20 minutes, he exited the security post, and upon returning, encountered an employee of 'Veolia Water,' subsequently going back to the post for coffee. After a short while, while performing his duties, the police officer left the security post. During this time, around 2:15 PM, taking advantage of the officer's absence and the fact that the 'Makarov' pistol was left unattended, the mentioned employee took the weapon and fatally shot himself in the head.

Based on the evidence collected, the police officer has been charged under Part 1 of Article 337 of the RA Criminal Code for negligence. The officer has been charged and placed under the restriction of being prohibited from leaving.

The investigation has also revealed that the victim had been registered at a mental health center. The investigation is ongoing.