An intelligence officer reportedly shot himself in his car near Paris, following two similar incidents over the past five months
A French intelligence officer has been found dead in a parking lot at his workplace in Levallois-Perret, a suburb of Paris, in what authorities believe was a suicide, French media reported on Wednesday.
The man, whose name has not been made public, was discovered on Monday afternoon in a service vehicle parked in the underground garage of the Directorate General for Internal Security (DGSI), France’s domestic intelligence agency under the Interior Ministry. It works alongside the National Police and the National Gendarmerie, but is specifically tasked with surveillance, counter-espionage, and fighting terrorism and cybercrime.
He died from a gunshot wound to the head inflicted with his service weapon, Le Parisien and Actu17 reported, citing police and judicial sources.
Media outlets reported that a farewell letter was found at the officer’s home. His wife reportedly contacted authorities after discovering the handwritten note, prompting a search by his colleagues inside DGSI headquarters. The search led to the discovery of his body inside the car.
While the contents of the note have not been made public, it reportedly contained a statement of intent to commit suicide. The local prosecutor’s office has nonetheless launched an investigation to determine the cause of death. The DGSI’s internal inspection unit is handling the case.
This is the third suspected suicide involving a DGSI officer in five months. In January, another officer reportedly took his life under similar circumstances in the agency’s basement. Two days earlier, a separate officer fatally shot himself at home, reportedly due to personal issues not linked to work.
No official comment has been issued by the French Interior Ministry or the DGSI.
According to Actu17, this latest case brings the number of suicides within France’s national police force to 10 since the beginning of the year.
