An Italian second division football match was called off Saturday after a policewoman shot herself in the head in an apparent suicide attempt, the dpa reported.
The policewoman was in a critical condition in a hospital in the north-eastern city of Treviso, the Ansa news agency said.
The shooting took place while the 42-year-old policewoman was on duty outside Treviso's Tenni stadium during a Serie B game between local team Treviso and Grosseto, Ansa reported.
Fans who heard the gunshot implored officials to suspend the match in what was first thought to be an incident related to crowd trouble, Ansa said.
Violence has long marred Italian football with recent incidents including widespread rioting following the fatal police shooting of a Lazio fan in November 2007 and the killing of a policeman in clashes outside the stadium of Catania in February of the same year.