Co-workers are mourning the tragic suicide of an RCMP officer at his workplace this morning in downtown Ottawa. The officer died of a self-inflicted gunshot.

The shooting happened inside the Darcy McGee building at 33 Metcalfe Street just before 9 a.m.  Police responded to a medical emergency and found the officer inside.

The public has heard so much lately of first responders, including police, paramedics, firefighters, under stress, suffering from PTSD.  What happened today is not clear but it is hard to deny a growing crisis among those hired to protect citizens in a crisis.

Police and paramedics raced to the building this morning, metres away from Parliament Hill, in a building populated by office workers.

“There was a sudden rush of ambulances and at least a dozen police cars arrived on site,” says John Kelly Cuthbertson.  He and his family were in search of a coffee this morning along Sparks Street when they saw the commotion.

They surrounded the door and brought a gentleman out,” says Cuthbertson, “and it looked like they were doing chest compressions on him.”

Sources say the officer, a member of the general duty protective policing unit with the RCMP, had died of a self-inflicted gunshot. 

“I would never expect anything like that here,” says a woman walking by, “I’m shocked.”

An RCMP cruiser, surrounded by police tape was towed away 2 hours after the shooting.  In an email to staff, the commanding officer of the RCMP national division, Gilles Michaud, confirmed the shooting and said "All indications were that this did not occur in the performance of his duties. Unfortunately, he passed away at the hospital. Team members were attending to his family."

This is all the more tragic because it happened in a very public place with co-workers all around.  In fact, this is the third suicide of a police officer in his workplace in this region in less than 2 years.

In June of 2014, a 25-year-old member of the MRC des Collines shot himself inside the Wakefield police station.

Three months later, a 22-year veteran of the Ottawa Police, Kal Ghadban, killed himself inside police headquarters on Elgin Street.  Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau was at the scene today to speak with RCMP members.

“It’s a terrible tragedy,” said Tamara Nasha, walking by, “Stuff like that is unbelievable.  I think that guy has a family.  No, no, something needs to change.”

That sentiment is ringing throughout this country.  After a rash of suicides among the RCMP, the Canadian Occupational Health and Safety started tracking them and discovered 31 serving or retired members had taken their own lives since 2006.

Dr. Rajiv Bhatla is the Chief of Staff with The Royal in Ottawa, “They (first responders) end up seeing things and experiencing things most of us would not,” he says.

The Royal runs the Operational Stress Injury Clinic to help veterans and RCMP officers deal with depression, substance abuse and PTSD.  The key is asking for help and finding that help.

“When you get help early on,” says Dr. Bhatla, “you can prevent major problems and people get better. That’s the main message I think. People do get better.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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