# El Paso police kill man in suicide by cop



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

The Associated Press

*EL PASO*- El Paso police Tuesday afternoon shot and killed a man who they say was suicidal and pointed a gun at them. 
According to a police news release, three officers went to a west El Paso home in response to a relative's report about a suicidal man. 
The relative told police that 58-year-old William Ecker was armed with a handgun, had locked himself in a room and fired the gun. 
Police say the officers entered the house and encountered Ecker, who opened the room's door holding a gun. Ecker refused police demands to drop the gun and then aimed it at the officers, prompting the officers to shoot him. 
Police say Ecker died at the scene. 
The police involved in the shooting were Sergeant Christine Whitaker and Officers Joseph Duarte and Amanda Vega. 
Investigations are being conducted by the police department and the District Attorney's Office.








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