City Leaders React To Ex-Officer's Suicide

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Story Published: Feb 2, 2009 at 6:38 PM PDT

By Steve Wellman

It was a heart-wrenching scene confronted by officers from at least three agencies. Former Y.P.D. cop Mike Rummel, dismissed from the force in 2005 after problems with alcohol and other issues...now dead. Rummel shot himself in his own car in front of his house after a brief pursuit by a W.S.P. trooper.

Lt. J.W. Keightley of the Washington State Patrol says "The trooper exited his vehicle and was in the process of giving the suspect verbal commands from a point of safety the person didn't react to those commands.”

Minutes earlier the trooper reported Rummel's car nearly crashed head-on into his patrol vehicle. A brief pursuit followed with Rummel waving a gun out the window. Then only seconds after Rummel pulled into his own driveway, the trooper heard a single shot

The day after the suicide, City Manager Dick Zais is saddened and surprised Rummel's life would end this way. "The death of former Yakima Police Officer Mike Rummel came as a major shock to us," says Zais.

He continues, "This had to have been a very troubled young man and despite all the issues he went through here no one would have wanted to see him lose his life”

Rummel recently lost a final appeal in the state court for reinstatement to the force.

His struggles with alcohol and depression were well documented. Rummel had accused Chief Sam Granato of retaliation which led to his firing, but Granato says Rummel's issues were addressed.

"Very early on we offered him help and assistance and he did get some assistance through intervention," explains Granato

On Super Bowl Sunday Rummel's troubles apparently overwhelmed him, leaving a downcast mood at Y.P.D.

Granato says "Well it's very somber talking with the officers that came up to me today. No one likes to see something like this happen to a member of their department or former member of their department.”

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