B.C.'s Mental Health Act and why it is relevant to the Tumbler Ridge shooting

Police say the Tumbler Ridge suspect had previously been apprehended under B.C.'s Mental Health Act; the law allows police to bring someone for assessment and permits doctors to detain a patient initially for up to 48 hours, with renewals possible.

Police have said a teenage suspect in the Tumbler Ridge incident had been apprehended under B.C.'s Mental Health Act on multiple occasions. The issue is now part of a broader discussion about how the provincial law guides care, assessment and public safety. The act sets out when police and health professionals may intervene and the legal steps for hospital assessment. Officials say investigations are ongoing and that further information will be disclosed by the RCMP as it is determined. Key facts: - RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said the 18-year-old suspect had been visited by police and apprehended under the act on more than one occasion, and that the suspect had been hospitalized in some circumstances; police also said weapons taken from the home were later returned. - The provincial Mental Health Act permits police to apprehend and transport a person to a hospital or mental health facility for assessment. - A doctor or nurse can issue a certificate to detain someone for up to 48 hours for assessment; a second certificate can extend detention for another month, and certificates may be renewed if further treatment is deemed necessary. - Criteria cited for involuntary admission include that a mental illness seriously impairs functioning, there is a risk of deterioration or harm, that psychiatric treatment is required, and that the person is unwilling to be treated. Summary: Officials say the RCMP investigation into the Tumbler Ridge incident is ongoing and will determine what information is released. The provincial government has said it may consider further measures if key questions about the suspect's treatment or the interaction between firearm and mental health laws are not answered.