Prosecutors do not plan to charge a police officer at the National Police Board for breach of duty, after a colleague used the officer’s firearm to take his own life earlier this year.

The incident took place at the National Police Board’s headquarters in Otaniemi in early February.

However, following an investigation, the prosecutor said no evidence was found suggesting a breach of duty.

A preliminary probe examined whether the officer had stored the gun in accordance with rules and regulations.

The officer who was under investigation, who was the other officer’s subordinate, denied any wrongdoing.

According to the prosecutor, the firearm had been locked in a safe that belonged to the officer who died by suicide. The sequence of numbers for the safe’s combination lock was only known to officers who used it.

In addition to the officer under investigation, there were at least two other officers who had kept their firearms in the safe for some time.

Officers who were questioned about the incident said that storing handguns in office safes has been a common practice for a long time.

The prosecutor said there are no suspicions of foul play in the incident.

The officer’s death marked the fifth suicide by police officers in just over a year’s time.

If you, or someone you know, are having suicidal thoughts, there is help available. In urgent situations you can always call emergency services at 112, the Medical Helpline at 116117, or seek assistance from a hospital’s emergency room.

Mieli Mental Health Finland also provides crisis assistance in English for limited hours on Fridays (9am-1pm), their phone number is 09 2525 0116. Mieli also offers help in Finnish (09 2525 0111) and Swedish (09 2525 0112).