THE jury at a coroner's inquest delivered a set of thoughtful recommendations this week following testimony about the death of North Vancouver's Matthew Wilcox.
Wilcox was described as a talented animator and a joy to be around when he was healthy. But Wilcox also suffered from mental illness and had his share of run-ins with police when feeling its effects.
He was in such a state Jan. 9, 2010 when he was shot by a police officer.
Questions involving mental illness rarely have neat and ready solutions.
But the jury's recommendation that police officers have better and more regular training in dealing with the mentally ill reinforces what is already strikingly apparent. It's no secret that police are regularly in contact with people suffering the effects of mental illness. Social work has become part of the job, and where models of "catching bad guys" don't serve very well.
In situations where a person is manic, for instance, it's unlikely they will respond in logical ways to commands.
Knowing how to talk someone down seems at least as valuable a tool as traditional weapons training. It makes sense to better equip police with tools they obviously need.
Despite the inquest, there are still lingering questions around Wilcox's death. We still need to know just how and why the message Wilcox had been released from custody did not get communicated to hospital staff in a timely manner.
That this has still not been adequately explained has only added to the pain felt by Wilcox's family and reflects badly on those involved.
