Tragedy: Plovdiv Police Officer Fatally Shot by Young Son

A tragic incident occurred in Plovdiv, where a 6-year-old child fatally shot his father, a police officer, within the premises of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' Special Police Forces (SPS). This was confirmed by senior commissioner Georgi Chergov, regional director of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Plovdiv, and district prosecutor Vanya Hristeva, who is overseeing the case.

The incident took place on August 12, around 4:40 p.m., shortly after the afternoon training sessions of the "Special Tactical Actions" sector had concluded. The police officers had returned to the building's rest area, where the personal belongings are stored. The son of one of the officers was present in the area.

As the officers were in the debriefing room, they heard a gunshot. Upon rushing out into the hallway, they found the child holding a firearm. The officers calmly approached, disarmed the child, and discovered that the shot had fatally wounded their colleague. All necessary procedural and investigative actions were immediately undertaken under the supervision of the District Prosecutor's Office.

Georgi Chergov, who was requested to resign by Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov following the incident, reported that all employees within the SPS territory have been identified and interrogated, with many already providing testimony. A disciplinary investigation is underway to determine how the weapon came into the child’s possession and whether it had been properly secured. Chergov declined to provide specific details about the weapon, as it remains a focal point of the investigation. Experts believe the weapon was already loaded, as a child of that age is unlikely to have loaded it independently.

The child’s mental state following the incident is of significant concern. District prosecutor Vanya Hristeva stated that the child is deeply distressed by what transpired. Psychological support has been provided to the children of the deceased officer, with urgent actions taken in the presence of a psychologist and their mother.

In the wake of the incident, Minister of Internal Affairs Kalin Stoyanov requested Chergov’s resignation, citing inadequate control as the reason. Chergov confirmed that he had informed the Minister immediately after the event and expressed his readiness to take responsibility as deemed necessary by the Ministry’s leadership.

The ongoing investigation is examining several possible explanations for how the incident occurred, including whether the service weapon was properly stored. Minister Stoyanov is expected to provide further updates on the situation later today.

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