Israeli police are investigating what seems to have been the suicide death of a policeman, who apparently chose to take his life while the French President Nicolas Sarkozy was on the stairs of his airplane to leave Israel.

The 32-year-old policeman identified as Raed Ranen reportedly shot himself while standing guard during Sarkozy's departure ceremony at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv on Tuesday. His death was confirmed by a police spokesman.

As expected, after Ranen’s shot rang out, Sarkozy’s bodyguards rushed Sarkozy and first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy to their plane. The other top officials attending the departure ceremony - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Shimon Peres – were rushed into their cars as well. The shot rang out just as Olmert kissed Carla Bruni-Sarkozy on the cheeks and President Shimon Peres bid farewell to his counterpart.

However, after the scare and after everybody realized there was not security risk, the two Israeli officials got out of their cars and boarded the plane to bid farewell to the French President. Sarkozy spent three days in Israel and the occupied West Bank.

Although the official version of the policeman’s death is suicide, his brother Nayef said he didn't believe in the suicide theory. Nayef said his brother was probably “unwittingly killed” by another Israeli guard.

The victim’s family already hired a lawyer to make sure that a "complete and detailed" investigation will be carried out. The first step would be to gain access to security video footage from the airport.