The events of the Paris terrorist attack is one that has shown that the world is connected, and that we all are sympathizing with those who have lost loved ones in the incident. For French Police Commissioner, Helric Fredou, the sight of these grieving families was too much to bear.
Fredou took his own life shortly after meeting with families of the victims of the Charlie Hebdo attack. He went into his office and shot himself with his police-issued gun.
Fredou had been on the force since 1997, and in 2012 he was appointed as the deputy director of the regional police.
Fellow officers reported that Fredou was depressed and overworked as well as single and without children, factors that could have aided him in his tragic decision to end his life.
France’s national police union gave a statement about the passing of Fredou, “It is with great sadness that we were informed this morning of the death of our colleague Helric Fredou, assigned as Deputy Director of the Regional Service Judicial Police in Limoges.” On this particular day of national mourning, police commissioners are now both hit hard by the tragic death of one of their own.
The Union of Commissioners of the National Police would like to present its most sincere condolences to the relatives of Helric. “In these difficult times, we have a special thought for all his colleagues and classmates, many of which have expressed their emotion and grief. We will keep you informed of how his funeral will be organized and the initiatives we take to honor his memory and support his family.”
When one signs on to be a cop, they are signing up for more than protecting the community, they may also be signing themselves up for a lot of emotional turbulence. Seeing the results of the massacre first hand may only add to the sorrow that the job could bring because it is a situation that is out of their control.
