NY Taser Cop Commits Suicide

Officer who authorized fatal use of stun gun, shot himself in head on 46th birthday
By Ambreen Ali,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 2, 2008 12:23 PM CDT

The New York cop who said he was “truly sorry” over authorizing last week’s fatal Tasering committed suicide this morning, his 46th birthday, Newsday reports, hours before victim Iman Morales was to be buried. Lt. Michael Pigott, whose weapon had been seized, shot himself in the head with a colleague’s gun in his old locker room.

“I loved being with the Emergency Services Unit,” the 21-year veteran told the paper Tuesday. Police officials said Pigott should not have authorized Taser use until air bags were placed under a fire escape where a naked Morales, who was a psychiatric patient, stood. “It’s horrible. This is not the justice we want,” Morales’ aunt said of Pigott’s suicide. (More Taser stories.)

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