Daily BrewSgt. Ryan Russell’s widow wary of privileges Richard Kachkar could receive
There is some bittersweet news for the widow of Sgt. Ryan Russell, the Toronto police officers killed while chasing a stolen snowplow two years ago, who recently bristled over the lax restrictions placed on his killer.
Richard Kachkar was last month found not criminally responsible for striking and killing Russell during his early-morning spree through the snowy streets of downtown Toronto on Jan. 12, 2011.
Kachkar was recently sent to a medium-security mental health facility, thanks in part to a joint submission between the Crown and defence lawyers, approved by widow Christine Russell, which kept him out of a stricter facility.
CBC News reports that the deal involved giving the hospital – Ontario Shores Centre near Whitby, Ont. –the ability to take Kachkar on escorted visits away from the facility. Russell, however, thought the agreement would keep her husband’s killer away from the public.
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In a statement released through the Toronto Police Association, Russell called the revelation “upsetting.”
I went along with the joint submission agreed to by Crown counsel and counsel for Mr. Kachkar that he be sent to Ontario Shores and remain on its premises. Neither Mr. Kachkar nor his counsel asked that he be allowed off the hospital grounds and into the community. There was no discussion or any consideration of such a disposition whatsoever. This is completely unacceptable.
…
By giving the appearance of accepting the joint submission, but deciding to give Mr. Kachkar community access privileges that he did not even ask for, is both an insult and a slap in the face to my husband, myself, our family, the police community, the public at large and victims of violent crime. We are urging the government to appeal this regrettable decision.
But Kachkar, who was found not responsible for his actions due to mental illness, may not be out strolling through the city any time soon.
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Dr. Karen DeFreitas, medical director of the Ontario Shores forensic unit, said that recommendations made by the Ontario Review Board (ORB) are considered by facility staff, which assesses patients on an ongoing basis to decide what treatment is acceptable.
DeFreitas told Yahoo! Canada News that the ORB lists privileges it believes may be attainable by the patient before they return for a hearing the following year.
“Just because something is in the disposition doesn’t mean the person is ready for it right away. It may take up to a year to earn it,” DeFreitas said.
“It is really up to the discretion of the hospital. If we feel that someone is not stable enough and it is too risky for them to exercise a privilege they may not get to use that privilege for an entire year.”
How this relates to Kachkar’s circumstances isn’t clear – doctors do not speak about specific cases – but it does suggest that the ORB’s recommendation that he be granted escorted visits off hospital premises is only that – a recommendation.
Ontario Shores staff might not see fit to approve such permissions any time soon.
