Taser Cop Penned Apology In Suicide Note

Michael Pigott

Michael Pigott, the NYPD lieutenant who gave the order to fire a Taser that resulted in the death of an emotionally disturbed man, took responsibility for his actions - to the very end.

Newsday shared some of the lieutenant's last words, which were hand-written in a suicide note to his wife and three children. He wrote, "I was trying to protect my guys that day... I can't bear to lose my family and go to jail." The note, which apologized "for the mess" and took responsibility for giving the order to fire the Taser was found after Pigott shot himself to death last year in an NYPD command center in Brooklyn. After Pigott's death, it was reported that the Brooklyn DA's office wasn't considering charging the 21-year veteran.

Pigott's widow is suing the city; court papers say that the NYPD's statements "caused [him] to become humiliated, distraught, depressed, and caused him to commit suicide."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Ellen T in News on October 14, 2009 2:44 PM

Comments [rss]

sowhtifithppnsitwll

It was a bad conclusion all around.

Somehow the thought of him falling did not come across, maybe it looked like he would collapse and stay up.

It was a taser gun.

I feel for all involved and I think the officer suffered greatly. There are choices but suicide is when you feel like you have none.

sensibile

The lawyer who is helping her sue should be tasered while naked and on a ledge. Opportunistic scum.

inoyourider

And his widow thinks she's entitled to a payout?

Let's see how much she takes for her husband's life.

TheMactastic

This is directed at no one specific.

But I hope that you accidently injur someone someday. And then have to live with that fact.

And then kill yourself.

F%^&ing assholes.

He's a cop so he deserves to die? fucking dicks.

imadick

who's saying he deserved to die?

byLauren

If I'm to consider his photo alone I'd guess that guy was already suffering from some serious depression. I feel for the family.

FrankMartin

That pic was taken after it the taser incident, so not really a fair way to judge the balance of his life.

Regardless fractions of seconds (the photo being that) aren't a good way to judge the balance of anyone's life.

Peter

So ... why was the cop who actually fired the thing not prosecuted. And no, "following orders" is NOT an acceptable excuse.

winstonsmith

huh? so, what, it's every man for himself when it comes to a chain of command in extremely tense and stressful situations? rrrrright . . .

dagblad

why not?

JacqueMehoff

this guy's guilt overpowered the blue wall.

a rarity.

Angelheaded Hipster

Too bad you weren't on the scene when that episode happened. Maybe you could have made a witty quip that would have saved the day.

imadick

suicide is a choice. no one makes you kill yourself.

FrankMartin

I can't disagree, but this is too simply a way to look at suicide. People are driven to choices

kafkask

You're an idiot. Anyone who thinks like this is an idiot. Suicide isn't exactly a choice. Those who do it aren't just having a bad day or tying to get out of something like jury duty.

Spirit of 76

You're saying he had no choice whatsoever but to kill himself? Something tells me you're not a mental health professional. Unless he was clinically depressed with a neurochemical imbalance, he had a choice and he made it.

imadick

who made him kill himself? the police? so when some teenage girl tries to off herself saying that her parents don't understand, your solution is to take her away from her parents? because they made her do that?

kafkask

Go ahead and think that way. And it's actually pretty clichéd, at that. I'm not going to persuade you to think any differently. I'm only pointing you out as an idiot who doesn't understand suffering.