Yes, and as a matter of fact, I've currently launched my own chair-initiated complaint dealing with a situation where officers were arresting a gentleman under the Mental Health Act. He was suffering from schizophrenia. It unfortunately resulted in his death, which is very unfortunate.
I think it is true, but the key words are, as you've just said, “its appropriate use”. We'll be looking at that particular case and looking at the broader issue.
Police have evolved. I have a great deal of sympathy. There was a study recently out of the City of Vancouver where they found that 38% of officers' calls were related to people with either mental health issues or drug issues, and in the East Hastings area it was up to 50%. Because of the way policing has evolved and society has evolved, the police are first-line responders for many health issues. Unfortunately, I think some of these deaths are on police cards that might be more appropriately housed on the health side.
You can try to find a model where you intervene with someone who's in a health crisis, where it's not the first tool. It's the tool you use before you shoot somebody.
I practise in Toronto. Certainly through the seventies we had people who were suffering from mental health problems, who came down with a garden shear in their hand, approached the officer, and they were shot and killed. Everyone cried out for some kind of less than lethal device, but that's at the high end.
Clearly there is a use in all circumstances. The case is, what's the appropriate use, and let's try to minimize, if we can, the violence.