R. Budd Dwyer was a longtime politician in the State of Pennsylvania, eventually making his way up to that of State Treasurer. In 1987, at the age of 48, Dwyer was convicted of taking bribes and was to be sentenced to 55 years in prison, an effective life sentence. Unlike other bad people who give up without a fight, Dwyer called a press conference, and proceeded to blow his brains out on camera with a .357 magnum. In some markets, in Pennsylvania in particular, his suicide was carried live on television.

I don’t know why I was motivated to find the video recently, but I have it. The video begins with Dwyer handing out what would appear to be talking points for his press conference, but which are actually copies of his suicide note. He then pulls the gun out of an envelope and panic ensues, as the press realizes what he’s going to do. Afraid he’s about to be bum rushed, he warns people to stay away, that they might get hurt, and he quickly puts the gun in his mouth and pulls the trigger, blowing the top of his skull off as he collapses to the ground, blood flowing profusely from his nose.

I remember when it happened, it being carried on the news. I was at a friend’s house, and his father turned off the TV to stop us from watching it. Now, there’s nothing he can do.

Watch the video here (probably best to right click and download).

And for the curious, here’s more on R. Budd Dwyer on Wikipedia.

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