Brutality Canada Police Brutality O Canada

Taser choice over spray, says advocate

from Edmonton Sun
May 13, 2001
By RAQUEL EXNER -- Staff Writer

Mental health advocacy groups don't blame police for the death of a mental patient who quit breathing after officers pepper-sprayed and handcuffed him in an effort to subdue the man.

But some groups wish cops would use tasers, instead of pepper spray, on people with mental illnesses.

"From a national perspective we want to see police use taser guns more than out-and-out brutality," said Neil Congo, president of the Schizophrenia Society of Alberta.

"We prefer taser (stun) guns over pepper spray. They subdue individuals without any pain or abuse.

"When I see someone with a mental illness who ends up being subdued in any kind of a forceful way, I get concerned because they don't know what's going on. I understand the public has to be protected, but if there's a better way to subdue them, we should use it."

A 37-year-old mental patient - who went into a rage as he was being committed to hospital on Friday died after city cops pepper-sprayed and handcuffed him. The drama began around 2:20 p.m. at the Alberta Mental Health Board near 99 Avenue and 108 Street. Cops were asked to help restrain the man, an outpatient at the facility who was being sent to Alberta Hospital.

A manager with the Bissell Centre said more violent incidents involving mentally ill people would happen if it weren't for the many agencies helping people with these afflictions.

"Without the kind of support network at the Bissell Centre and other agencies, there would be a lot more incidents," said Ele Gibson, a manager with the centre.

If patients go off their drugs they can deteriorate quickly and become a danger to themselves or others, so staff watch for signs.

"If they come to the centre, or we know where they live, we can help them get back on track," said Gibson.

"But sometimes they just disappear."

Alberta Mental Health Board spokesman Charlie Vermeeren, said the board will review the incident, which is common practice in a situation like this. He doesn't know how long the review will take. Counselling will also be offered to employees who were involved in the incident.

"To have this outcome is disturbing for our people and police. No one wants to see this kind of an outcome.

"Our objective here is to try and help patients in distress."

Psychiatric patient dies after being pepper sprayed, handcuffed by police

from the Ottawa Citizen

EDMONTON -- The family of a psychiatric patient who died after police pepper-sprayed, subdued and handcuffed him wants to know why Alberta Mental Health Board staff didn't call them first to say they were committing him to a hospital.

Nurbin Ciplak says board staff had three phone numbers for the family, and no one bothered informing them they were transferring her brother, Kasim, to Alberta Hospital after an incident between him and a nurse Friday while he was at the board's Community Living Program. Mr. Ciplak, 37, who suffered from schizophrenia, attended the program three times a week for the last two years to socialize with other patients, Ms. Ciplak said. Mr. Ciplak was on medication for his illness, didn't need daily treatment and saw a psychiatrist every three months, she added. But he didn't understand English very well, she said. The family didn't know that Mr. Ciplak had died until detectives showed up at her sister's house Friday night. They weren't told he had been pepper-sprayed first before he was subdued and handcuffed by two police officers and a male nurse. The family learned of the pepper spraying from the late night news.

Police noticed Mr. Ciplak had stopped breathing after he was handcuffed. They immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation until an ambulance arrived. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

Reprinted under the Fair Use doctrine of international copyright law.

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This page created May 30, 2001