Police officer mortally wounds fellow officer in skirmish with mental patient

A policeman from Dabrowa Bialostocka in northeast Poland fatally shot his colleague in the head in an accident that occurred while the officers were attempting to control a mentally disabled man. The mental patient escaped from a local psychiatric hospital last week and sought shelter with his family. But several days later the patient's daughter called the hospital in hopes of returning her father to their care. When the ambulance arrived the man became enraged and the police were summoned. Upon their arrival the police officers were pelted with stones thrown by the deranged man. In an attempt to pacify the patient, the police officers left the scene. Later the police returned and attempted to subdue the man to no avail. When one of the officers drew his gun, the patient hit the officer on his hand, which subsequently fired the gun. The wounded officer was transported to the hospital but died the following day. The deranged patient escaped and is being sought by the police. (Gazeta Wyborcza, Aug. 25-26, p.5) M.T.