I have heard stories like this all my life. Somebody becomes suicidal. Someone (parents, wife, boyfriend/girlfriend) calls the cops. Cops show up and shoot.
Anytime you are in contact with police, no matter what for, there is a chance you will get shot, and there is a chance you will go to jail. Another ironic case which is fairly common, is parents will call the cops on their son/daughter because they are acting up. The cops show up, and very bad things follow.
There should be an unarmed division of the police that acts as more of a counselor than a cop, to respond to suicide and other domestic calls which are not criminal. If you get a regular cop on the scene, they only know two things. Shoot them, or take them to jail. That is what they do.