The Barr Tribunal into the shooting of John Carthy has been told the theory of 'suicide by cop' would have to be considered in relation to his death at Abbeylara.
Assistant Garda Commissioner Tony Hickey was asked by Counsel for the ERU officers if it appeared Mr Carthy 'wished' to be shot.
He said it was 'impossible' to definitively answer the question, but he was aware of cases from North America that were labelled 'suicide by cop', where victims precipitated their death.
The Tribunal heard that as John Carthy left his house he had one cartridge in his shotgun and released the safety catch.
He then walked towards unarmed gardaí.
Earlier, he was heard shouting 'Shoot me! Shoot me!' at gardaí while still inside the house.
