A Co Antrim man accused of having a deactivated gun was allegedly trying to get a PSNI officer to shoot him, a court has heard.
A judge was told 37-year-old Hugh Anthony Butler is suspected of attempting "suicide by police".
Butler, from the Antrim Road in Newtownabbbey, is charged with possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
He also faces counts of possessing a bladed article and an offensive weapon in a public place.
The case relates to the alleged discovery of the gun, a carving knife and a claw hammer in a car registered to Butler in January last year.
The deactivated pistol was on the front passenger seat, while the other items were in the footwell of the vehicle parked on Carnmoney Road, Newtownabbey, a previous court heard.
Butler was arrested after exiting a nearby house in an aggressive and agitated state, police claimed.
Searches of a garage at the property recovered two other suspected guns, at least one of which was also deactivated.
Butler is not charged with having either of those guns.
He appeared again at Belfast Magistrates' Court yesterday seeking to vary his bail terms.
Opposing the bid to remove his electronic tag, an investigating detective suggested the arrest was made during an "attempted suicide by police officer situation".
Pressed by Deputy District Judge Joe Rice for the further explanation, the detective said: "Police have strong suspicions that Mr Butler attempted to have police officers shoot him, thereby causing his death."
Defence counsel Declan Quinn argued that the current bail regime was too strict.
"They are having a deleterious effect on this man's mental health," he insisted.
But the detective claimed some of the conditions were there to protect both Butler and police officers.
Removing the tag would mean PSNI personnel having to carry out more curfew checks, he contended.
Refusing the application, Judge Rice said: "It's a bizarre case."