Pubdate: Tue, 31 Jul 2012
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Copyright: 2012 The Globe and Mail Company
Contact:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168
Author: Sunny Dhillon

DRUG-ADDICT SHOT TO DEATH BY B.C. POLICE HAD UNTREATED MENTAL ISSUES

A man who was shot dead by police after he waved a machete on 
Vancouver's Downtown Eastside had been diagnosed as bipolar and 
schizophrenic, but was not treated for mental-health issues in the 
months leading up to his death.

Darrell Elroy Barnes died on July 22, 2011, at the age of 48.

Mr. Barnes was walking down a public street holding the machete when 
he was approached by Vancouver police. He ignored orders to drop the 
weapon and was hit by six beanbag rounds.

Mr. Barnes remained on his feet and approached police swinging the 
blade, leading two officers to fire their pistols. He was pronounced 
dead in hospital.

Susan Frith of B.C.'s Ministry of Social Development told a coroner's 
inquest Tuesday that the province was familiar with Mr. Barnes 
because he received income assistance.

She said he advised the ministry in 2008 that he was manic 
depressive, addicted to drugs, and prone to seizures. A doctor's note 
said he also suffered from anxiety.

In 2009, Mr. Barnes was diagnosed as bipolar and schizophrenic. But 
at the time of his death he was not seeing a physician and had not 
had a prescription filled for at least one year.

The inquest began Monday and testimony wrapped Tuesday afternoon. The 
five-person jury cannot, by law, make findings of legal 
responsibility or assess blame. The jury can, however, make 
recommendations aimed at preventing deaths under similar 
circumstances in the future.

The jury heard that Mr. Barnes was leading an isolated life - he had 
no contact with his parents or his son. One psychiatric assessment 
said he had low self-esteem and the chronic drug user had previously 
attempted to commit suicide.

Angela Chung, an RCMP toxicologist who examined samples taken from 
Mr. Barnes after his death, said there was alcohol, cocaine and 
heroin in his system. She said he had consumed enough alcohol that 
she would have expected him to have slurred speech and trouble walking.

While heroin was present, Ms. Chung said, it was not consumed as 
recently as the cocaine, which was taken within 12 hours of the confrontation.

"An individual who is a chronic high-dose user of cocaine, there have 
been studies to show that they may potentially undergo a toxic 
cocaine psychosis, or something known as excited delirium syndrome," 
she said. "There's a change in mental status of the individual. They 
become very aggressive and very combative. In this stage, some people 
describe it as the individuals feel like they have superhuman 
strength and are kind of not aware of what's going on around them."

Corporal Dave Campbell of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team 
was the final person to testify at the inquest. His agency was called 
in to investigate the Vancouver police shooting.

Cpl. Campbell, who led the investigation, said Mr. Barnes had an 
extensive criminal record. He said Mr. Barnes served time in an 
Ontario prison for manslaughter.

Cpl. Campbell said his team was tasked with determining whether the 
two officers who fired the fatal shots should face criminal charges.

"Our conclusions were that the force used by both Constable Kirk 
Longstaffe and Constable Kim Menzies fell within the structure of 
their use of force training," he said.

In her instructions to the jury, presiding coroner Marj Paonessa 
suggested the death be classified as a homicide, "a neutral term that 
does not imply fault or blame."

She said a handwritten note was found in Mr. Barnes's room after his 
death. However, she said it could not be determined when it was written.

Ms. Paonessa did not disclose what the note said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom