Pubdate: Wed, 08 Oct 2014
Source: Record, The (Kitchener, CN ON)
Copyright: 2014 Metroland Media Group Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.therecord.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/225
Author: Kevin Bissett
Page: A4

MOUNTIE'S DEATH A TERRIBLE LOSS: RCMP

Force Was Working With Colleague Who Wanted to Smoke Pot in Uniform

FREDERICTON - The death of RCMP Cpl. Ron Francis, who helped draw 
attention to post-traumatic stress disorder among emergency first 
responders, is a terrible loss that underscores the need to deal with 
the issue, the RCMP's commanding officer in New Brunswick said Tuesday.

"It's unfortunate that this condition, if you will, took over and 
consumed him, but he didn't let go," assistant commissioner Roger 
Brown told a news conference at RCMP headquarters in Fredericton. 
"His goal was to try to make some sense of it himself and to bring an 
awareness to what this is all about."

Francis was found dead Monday afternoon at the Kingsclear First 
Nation. It appears no one else was involved in his death but Brown 
wouldn't provide any details about the circumstances of how Francis died.

Brown said the police force was doing all it could to get Francis the 
support he needed, meeting with him as recently as Sunday.

"I know there will be much speculation about why this happened and 
assumptions may be made," Brown said. "Unfortunately this is not the 
outcome that I would've hoped for, that I would've anticipated."

Francis, who served with the Mounties for 22 years, made national 
headlines last year after he complained that he wasn't allowed to 
smoke medicinal marijuana for PTSD while in uniform.

Last November, Francis returned his red serge uniform, saying he was 
doing so on orders from his superiors, and accused the RCMP and the 
federal government of not doing enough to support officers with PTSD.

At the time, the RCMP said its officers who are prescribed medicinal 
marijuana should not be in red serge or regular uniform while taking 
their medication as it wouldn't portray the right message to the public.

Brown said Tuesday the uniform still belonged to Francis. He said his 
goal was to have Francis, who was on leave from the RCMP, return as a 
contributing member of the force.

"This wasn't a pot-smoking issue. This wasn't a red serge issue," Brown said.

"This was a cry for help and a need to raise the awareness as to what 
PTSD really is within the organizations that we all work for."

Francis pleaded guilty last month to assaulting four fellow RCMP 
officers and was to be sentenced next month.

Provincial court heard that in December, officers confronted Francis 
on a Fredericton street in an effort to take him to hospital for a 
mental health assessment.

Francis pushed one officer and during the ensuing scuffle, he punched 
another officer in the face, giving him a bloody nose.

Chief Gabriel Atwin of the Kingsclear First Nation said his community 
remembers Francis as a role model, particularly for youth.

"Through pain we choose to celebrate his life and honour the 
character of the man we knew," Atwin said in a statement.

"The depth of loss we feel only proves that a life of service to 
one's community earns the respect of all."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom