The Edmonton Journal
EDMONTON (CP) -- The Alberta government is considering compelling some mental health outpatients to take medication, a move partly prompted by the fatal shooting of an RCMP officer.
But Health Minister Gary Mar said Tuesday he wants to wait for the emotional furor around the death of Cpl. Jim Galloway to cool off.
“When issues like this come up it seems to tip the scales in favour of compelling treatment orders, but it’s not something we’re prepared to make a decision on yet,” Mar said.
Under a compulsory treatment order, a patient who does not take prescribed medication can be committed to a mental hospital. Normally such legislation is restricted to the most serious mental health cases, likely involving potential risk to the public.
Martin Ostopovich, a diagnosed schizophrenic who was apparently not taking his medication, is suspected of gunning down veteran RCMP Cpl. Jim Galloway on Saturday.
Ostopovich was then shot dead by RCMP officers.
“Really, it’s about two families that have suffered a terrible tragedy,” Mar said. “When we get past the emotion of that perhaps it will again be time to look at the issue of whether compulsory treatment makes sense.”
Mar said the government has been considering compulsory treatment orders, which a number of other provinces and American states have adopted, for the past four years.
“It’s a very difficult one because people feel very strongly about the rights of individuals and you have to weigh those against the rights of society,” he said.
Ontario brought in compulsory treatment orders in 2000 after Ottawa sportscaster Brian Smith was shot and killed by a mentally ill man in 1995.
The mental health community is split on the value of such orders. The Schizophrenia Society favors it, but the Canadian Mental Health Association is opposed.
Meanwhile, RCMP confirmed Tuesday that the bullet that killed Galloway was not fired by police.
The announcement by Cpl. Wayne Oakes was to clear up rumours that Galloway may have been felled by a police bullet.
“The single shot that struck and killed Cpl. Jim Galloway was fired from a firearm of a similar calibre to the one that was in possession of Mr. Martin Ostopovich, and that is not a calibre used by any firearm used by the RCMP,” Oakes said.
Officers from across Canada will attend a full regimental funeral Friday for Galloway, a veteran dog handler.