Featuring Exclusive Interview with Mona Wang
By Suzanna Chen
The phone rang, and distressed voices burst through the line.
The distance between them and their loved ones made their heart pound with irrational fear. Although the shortening of physical distance would not bring them any closer to their suffering beloveds, since they were temporarily taken into a state of pain that’s incomprehensible for most.
The familiar sirens blared as police officers hurried to the various scenes.
With their honourable badges, they carried the callers’ desperate hopes and earnest expectations that they would secure their dearest ones’ safety.
Yet…
With their countless weapons, they also carried frightful visions exemplified by delirious drug addicts, unpredictable schizophrenics, and murderous psychopaths.
They expected to interact with monsters on the loose.
It is perhaps for these dehumanizing thoughts, they justify the usage of unreasonable force.
With punches, kicks, tasers, guns, and every other violent yet “necessary” action imaginable, they aimed to tame the illogical minds of their distraught subjects.
And...
More often than we would like to believe, these interactions end with notable injuries and deaths.
It might be shocking to hear that these visits are called “wellness checks”; with more than six Canadians losing their lives since April of this year, it is valid to say that many of them don’t end “well”.
So, what exact purposes do these “police wellness checks” serve, and how do they work?
The What, When, Who, and How
According to the Black’s Law Dictionary by Henry Campbell Black, a welfare check, also referred to as a wellness check, is defined in simple words as “when police stop by a person’s home to make sure they are okay”. In context, these checks may happen at the request of anyone who is worried that an elder might have passed away in their home, an acquaintance is having or acting on suicidal thoughts, or a lover of a long-distance relationship is in critical danger. It is worth noting, however, that mental health crises have become the leading reason for conducting welfare checks in recent years, with approximately 10,000 related calls every month and “growing exponentially”, according to an RCMP commissioner.
The requests for these checks are usually made by friends, family, or neighbours. However, it is generally acceptable for anyone to make the call – which can be problematic as there are no preventive measures for potential fraud calls.
There are two ways to get in touch with the law enforcement authorities where the welfare check will be conducted: the emergency number, 911, and a non-emergency crisis line that varies depending on one’s local police department. Once one is in contact with the authorities, they have the right to accompany the police officers who are going. However, this would not be possible in situations where one does not live within a relative distance to their subjects of concern.
Once the police officers arrive at the scene, how they choose to act is surprisingly variable. “...[T]here’s no standard for wellness check protocols across Canada – those are determined by individual police services,” explained Jennifer Lavoie, professor of criminology at Wilfrid Laurier University.
Regardless of the lack of a universal guideline, it is a common practice for officers to knock on the door and identify themselves as law enforcement officials upon arrival. After a reasonable time of awaiting response, the police may forcefully enter a private premise if they hold reasonable belief that their entry is necessary to ensure safety. In some cases, this legal permission for warrantless entries can be lifesaving; emergency medical or force intervention can be offered when the one inside the residence is unable to respond. However, in many other cases, complaints have been filed regarding the privacy invasion by police officers who utilized this permission of forceful entry without informing the residents of their identities.
After the interaction, the wellness checks supposedly end in one of three ways. If the police had ensured the person in question to be in good health and safety, they would notify the caller and dismiss their concerns. However, if the authorities had discovered the person to be physically or mentally compromised, they should immediately call medical assistance and inform the caller of the situation. They will stay at the location until – if possible – the caller comes. Lastly, if a check results with the person deceased, medical attention should be given and an investigation will be conducted. The deceased may have passed away due to natural or self-inflicted causes before the officers' arrival, but it is also common – as we have discovered – that police misconduct plays a role in the death.
It seems that the wellness checks are, overall, initiated with good intentions. However, why do we see such shocking numbers of injuries and casualties from these potentially lifesaving visits?
To gain more insights into the influencing factors, I’ve fortunately been able to speak with an insider of this growing issue.
A Survivor’s Tale
Despite the controversy surrounding police wellness checks stirring up around May with the first widely reported casualties, I regrettably had not seen it as a personal matter until late June, when the civil suit featuring Mona Wang against the RCMP was brought to my attention.
The incident had happened in January of this year, when the nursing student at the University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus was severely assaulted during a wellness check. She was kicked, stepped on, sworn at, handcuffed, and dragged through the floors of her apartment building half-dressed and on her stomach, which caused notable injuries on her face and body. It is incomprehensible how such derogatory actions were deemed necessary, as the officer had found her semi-unconscious and evidently more of a harm to herself than others.
Mona’s story, accompanied by horribly disturbing video footage, had filled me with shock, rage, and panic for the proximity of this crisis to myself - as we are both Chinese-Canadian students native to the westernmost province of Canada. I contacted her through social media and acquired her opinions on various aspects of this issue, which – with her permission – will be shared below.
The Interview
(with questions in left-centred italics, answers in right-centred italics, and comments in regular font.)
Question 1: “Do you think the police are reliable people to call in the event of mental distress or mental health crisis?”
“I definitely do not believe that the police are reliable, especially not by themselves…because they (the police) deal with a lot of sensitive issues, and typically violence, I think that they kind of resort to violence really quickly as well, which is something that I think healthcare workers don't usually do.”
“I feel like they just skip the words and go straight to violence a lot of the time.”
It surprises me that Mona can show such compassion by trying to understand the reason behind the officers’ adverse reactions even after her traumatizing experience. Indeed, many mental health advocates have also pointed out the issue of the police’s instinctual response of violence due to the predominant nature of their work.
Ingrid Waldron, an associate professor at Dalhousie University's School of Nursing, had said during a CBC interview, “That's a very specialized skill ... dealing with individuals who have mental health issues and being able to interact with them in a non-aggressive way.” And it is evident that the police do not have enough training in this “very specialized skill”.
“I just don't believe that they have the necessary training in six months…I don't think that's enough at all to be handling these issues. And, as healthcare workers, like as a registered nurse (myself), that's four years of training on healthcare, medical topics, and de-escalation. That's substantially more training than the police have.”
“If the police aren’t reliable, what can they do to rebuild the trust with the public?”
“(to rebuild the trust) I think that the best thing that they could do (regarding this situation) is to partner up with a health authority and have a certain program, or certain responders, who would go alongside the police, or have the police not go at all.”
The approach of having a mental health crisis response program has actually been implemented in Canada since 2014. Most municipal police departments of medium- to large-sized populations have some form of an integrated mental health team, which partners police with mental health professionals to perform these wellness checks. In fact, the use of these teams in cities such as Hamilton, Ontario, has led to a significant decrease in the number of people detained for mental health reasons.
However, as the recent spike in casualties suggests, there are still faults within the system. Some of the problems include these specialized units not responding around the clock – which affects the individuals experiencing mental distress during the very late or early hours of the day – the professionals being brought into the situations too late, and the intimidating authority the police have over these professionals.
Sarah Reynolds, a Toronto psychiatric nurse who had worked with the police for 18 months, has commented "If there was ever any talk of a weapon or ‘an unstable situation’ during a wellness check, police would quickly take over.”, and that “The nurses could be far more effective if we were front and centre doing the major assessment, and having police as back up.”
Regarding the bolder approach of removing the police completely from psychiatric emergencies, there has been a precedent case in Stockholm, the capital city of Sweden, in which a mental health ambulance with solely psychiatric nurses and paramedics was implemented in 2015. According to data presented in the International Journal of Mental Health, this unique program served well during its first year of operations, with high-quality pre-hospital care being provided immediately to those in crisis and significant reduction of police interference and workload. However, the program’s manager also revealed the team’s struggle to keep up with the increasing demands.
There has been an ongoing conversation between the psychiatric professionals and police departments of Canada regarding the possibility of designing a Canadian version of this mental health ambulance.
Question 2: “In what ways could the officer have done better in your situation? In other words, what might be the “correct” thing she could have done for you?”
“I think the ‘correct’ thing to do would have been to call an EMT (emergency medical technician), because even in her words on her side, she had said that she saw the pill bottle; she had seen that I was bleeding. I think even a regular person seeing that kind of thing would immediately think of calling an ambulance or calling for some form of backup, which she had not done at all at any step during her visit to me, she had not called the EMT and like…that's just baffling.”
It is truly astonishing that medical assistance was never offered; instead, it was replaced by verbal and physical abuse that did more damage to Mona’s physical and mental health. This issue might be able to be resolved if a strict and universal policing protocol can be established regarding the procedure to follow upon a suicidal act.
Mona further commented on the officer’s lack of experience in de-escalating a psychological crisis.
“(they can) definitely, you know, work on de-escalating the situation. Instead of calling them names or stepping on them or beating them up, work on talking to them. Say things like, “How are you?”, and treat them like they're human…humanizing them and not treating them like they're a criminal,
because having a mental illness is not a warrant to be beaten up or to be arrested.”
The statement is incredibly powerful and crucial for its revelation of the issue of mental illness stigmatization within the larger crisis.
Question 3: “Do you think the stigma around mental illness plays a role in the officer’s overly
negative reaction towards you?”
“There's definitely a stigma around mental illness… even though we're in 2020, you know, it's definitely something that needs to be addressed within the police force and also on a larger scale in society.”
“I think we need to have this discussion about mental health stigma, because even now people are afraid to speak out about their troubles, to reach out for help, of how the public will see them, and all of that kind of thing. And that all contributes to everything that happens. I think they (the police) just need a lot more training and education on what mental health really looks like.”
“They fear for their lives, but there's not really much to be feared.”
She also mentioned the media’s negative influence on this long-lasting stigma.
“…especially in TV and in movies, there is always that trope with the mentally ill being, you know, really violent, have the capacity to harm people, or that they're murders. While…in reality, they’re more of a harm to themselves than others.”
It is also worth noting that the officer involved in the incident had claimed that Mona was high on methamphetamine or some type of illicit drug, which, as multiple tests had shown, is not true. Regardless of whether the officer had really held this belief or simply stated this as an excuse for her outrageous actions, her statement implicitly suggested the prominent misrepresentation and stigmatization of substance use disorders in our society. Struggling with substance abuse should at no point be an excuse for any kind of physical or verbal abuse.
So, despite there being undoubtedly more advocacy for mental illness in recent years, it has proven to be far from enough. When a police officer interacts with someone in psychological distress, the pre-existing hyperbolic stereotype of criminality can have a detrimental effect on his or her actions. The stigma also has an extended impact on the receiving ends of the wellness checks. Since those being helped acknowledge that the officers hold a stereotypical view of them and are likely to use force, their fear of that situation pushes them deeper into mental distress, which might further evoke panic and alarm from the police. Overall, it can be said that “shattering the stigma” and breaking the bond between mental illness and criminality will be unmeasurably beneficial for everyone involved in this crisis.
Question 4: “What message(s) do you hope to spread by speaking out about your experience?”
“(what I really hope to do is) just letting people know that what happens, happens all the time…making the public aware of all of the terrible, terrible things that the RCMP does, and hopefully getting some change out of it, whether that's a policy reform or more education for the police.”
With thousands – in separate physical rallies and online – protesting for a change, I think Mona’s courageous act of speaking out has truly had positive influences. For information on how you can contribute to the movement, links to petitions and related stories are provided towards the end of the article.
That concludes my interview with Mona Wang.
The Last Issue
Lastly, I would like to mention the racial issue involved in the police wellness checks, which, unfortunately, I did not have the chance to discuss with Mona.
Over the last three months in Canada, all of the victims of fatal police wellness checks - D’Andre Campbell, Caleb Tubila Njoko, Regis Korchinski-Paquet, Chantel Moore, Rodney Levi, and Ejaz Choudry – belong to the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) community. Those notably injured, including Mona, are disproportionately racialized as well.
The heartbreaking and angering magnification of these individuals' risks is caused by the saddening overlap of their much-stigmatized identities – being of colour and mentally ill. It also clarifies that cultural awareness and empathy among the police are needed just as desperately as education and positive advocacy for mental illness.
The Wind of Change
It will be a strenuous journey for us to alter the long-standing stigma and malfunctioning system, but by voicing our opinions, we can make a change.
“People who have lived with mental illness should have a role in designing a system that better supports their needs, especially in times of crisis…involve others, you know mental health professionals, legal professionals, and police service providers at the end rather than at the beginning,” commented Archibald Kaiser, law and psychiatry professor at Dalhousie University.
Let us work towards a future where everyone acknowledges that:
mental illness is not a crime.
End Notes
Special acknowledgement to Mona Wang (@vampyrie on Instagram) for taking the time to share her story and insight with me so generously and patiently. Without her bravery to speak out, this article and the increasing amount of attention on this ongoing issue would not have been possible.
All of Mona’s news articles, interviews, and petitions can be found through the link below:
They matter…
(April 6, 2020) D’Andre Campbell, a 26-year-old Black man from Brampton, Ontario, was fatally shot in front of his three sisters and a brother during a wellness check. He had called for help himself, yet the police’s response to his mental health crisis was shooting at him with tasers and firing multiple gunshots. He was suffering from schizophrenia and had a history of hospital stays.
Read the story: D’Andre Campbell fatally shot by police in Brampton home after calling for help, family says
Sign the petition: Petition · Justice for D'Andre Campbell
(May 8, 2020) Caleb Tubila Njoko, a 27-year-old Black man from London, Ontario, jumped off a 15-story highrise after police were called to help. He was arrested about a week before his death, and his mother attributes his suicide to his anxiety around the officers and their forceful attitudes to enter Caleb's barricaded apartment.
Read the story: Caleb Tubila Njoko died falling from a balcony. His mother had called police for help
Support the fundraiser: Justice For Caleb Tubila Njoko
(May 27, 2020) Regis Korchinski-Paquet, a 29-year-old Indigenous-Ukrainian Black woman, fell from the 24-story balcony of her apartment during her interaction with the police. She was reportedly in mental distress. There are not many publicly-released details regarding her death, but Regis’s mother had stated that her last words were “Mom, help. Mom, help.”, before she was confirmed dead minutes later.
Sign the petition: Petition · JUSTICE FOR REGIS KORCHINSKI-PAQUET
(June 4, 2020) Chantel Moore, a 26-year-old Indigenous woman of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, died in a wellness check in Edmundston, New Brunswick, after officers fired at her five times. The police officer who shot her is now back at work.
Read the story: BC woman shot dead during police wellness check had just made fresh start to be with her child, family says
Sign the petition: Petition · Justice for Chantel Moore
(June 12, 2020) Rodney Levi, a 48-year-old Mi’kmaw man of the Metepenagiag First Nation, was tasered and fatally shot by the RCMP in the Miramichi region of New Brunswick. He dropped his knife after he was tasered, but the officers proceeded to fire two shots, hitting him square in the chest. His family also stated that during his lifetime, he had sought professional help for his depression and paranoia numerous times, but was always sent away without explanation or assistance.
Read the story: Sister says Rodney Levi, Mi'kmaw man shot and killed by NB RCMP, was a 'jokester' with the 'biggest heart'
Sign the petition: Petition · JUSTICE FOR RODNEY LEVI
(June 20, 2020) Ejaz Choudry, a 62-year-old Pakistani man from Mississauga, Ontario, was fatally shot by the RCMP during a wellness check. His extended family had called a non-emergency crisis line in hopes of getting him help through a schizophrenic episode, but instead he was met with police officers breaking in through his balcony door and firing multiple shots.
Read the story: Police fatally shoot Mississauga man during mental-health call
Sign the petition: Petition · JUSTICE FOR EJAZ
and sincere condolences to many, many more...
References
Adhopia, Vik. “It's Time to Rethink Police Wellness Checks, Mental Health Advocates Say.” Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). 4. July. 2020. Web. 16. July. 2020. <https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/police-wellness-check-alternatives-1.5637169>
Black, Henry C. “What Is A Police Welfare Check?” The Law Dictionary: Featuring Black's Law Dictionary Free Online Legal Dictionary 2nd Ed. n.d. Web. 16. July. 2020. <https://thelawdictionary.org/article/what-is-a-police-welfare-check/>
Bouveng, Olof., et al. “First-Year Follow-up of the Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PAM) in Stockholm County, Sweden: A Descriptive Study.” International Journal of Mental Health. 14. Feb. 2017. Web. 18. July. 2020. <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00207411.2016.1264040>
Britneff, Beatrice. “Police Wellness Checks: Why They’re Ending Violently and What Experts Say Needs to Change.” Global News. 26. June. 2020. Web. 16. July. 2020. <https://globalnews.ca/news/7092621/police-wellness-checks-experts-change/>
Cooke, Alex. “Recent Deaths Prompt Questions about Police Wellness Checks.” Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). 23. June. 2020. Web. 17. July. 2020. <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/police-wellness-checks-deaths-indigenous-black-1.5622320#:~:text=The%20deaths%20of%20multiple%20people%20during%20police%20wellness,handle%20mental%20health%20crises%2C%20especially%20among%20people%20>
Criss, Doug. “When a Police Wellness Check Becomes a Death Sentence.” Cable News Network (CNN). 19. Oct. 2019. Web. 18. July. 2020. <https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/19/us/wellness-check-police-shootings-trnd/index.html>
Nair, Roshini. “Nursing Student in Civil Suit Against RCMP Says Wellness Checks Need to Change.” Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). 25. June. 2020. Web. 16. July. 2020. <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/mona-wang-wellness-check-1.5624810>
Shire, Hussein N. “A Police Wellness Check Left Me Terrified and Determined to End the Practice.” The Tyee.30. Jun. 2020. Web. 16. July. 2020. <https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2020/06/30/Police-Wellness-Check-Left-Me-Terrified/>
Treebold, Jim, “What Is A Police Welfare Check?” Encyclopedia.com. 6. June. 2018. Web. 17. July. 2020. <https://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/what-is-a-police-welfare-check/>
u/xpostfact. “What are Your Rights During a Police Wellness Check? What's the Best Way to Handle One?” Reddit. 29. Nov. 2017. Web. 17. July. 2020. <https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladviceofftopic/comments/7gimdz/what_are_your_rights_during_a_police_wellness/>
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