Man Commits Suicide at Casino

.c The Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) - A police officer gambling in a high-stakes casino room committed suicide Wednesday after losing at blackjack.

The man shot himself in the head while participating in a $100-minimum game in a VIP room at the MotorCity Casino, Detroit police Inspector William Rice said.

``He lost a hand and then he pulled out a weapon and shot himself,'' Rice said.

The man was in his 30s or 40s, Rice said. Police were withholding his identity until his relatives could be notified, but the Oak Park police identified him as an officer there.

MotorCity Casino spokesman Jack Barthwell said the casino does not allow firearms but has no metal detectors.

``We're still trying to compile his betting history and whether or not in fact he's been here before,'' Rice said.

The VIP area, with $100 slot machines and blackjack tables with minimum bets of $100 to $500, was closed after the shooting, but the rest of the casino remained open and people continued to gamble.

MotorCity, which opened Dec. 14, was the second gambling facility to begin operating since Michigan voters approved a 1996 ballot proposal authorizing three casinos in Detroit.

AP-NY-01-26-00 2055EST

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