Getting the truth on these killings -Bush and Lewis-at the moment-will be harder than pulling teeth. Almost comparable to looking for a needle in a haystack.
I, for one, do not consider it "fair and well" to with hold information. The public is entitled to the information.
With holding, in my opinion, gives time for a "cover Up" to be concocted.
In the Lewis case-the scanners could well be the downfall to attempt to cover up the Lewis death. IF he was handcuffed to a tree, he was not a threat to the officer, as simply by stepping back the officer was out of harms way.
Are we now placed in the position we should live in fear of the very people who are paid to protect us.
The shooting of the young man in Vanderhoof-while he was in a wide open field, was a crime.
The Tasering of the elderly gentleman close to the jail was an outright act of stupidity.
The "hit and run" at the Tachie reserve implies the police were looking for a bit of excitement, and searching for impaired drivers was the best they could come up with. Believe me, I am sure if I ran over a human being, I would know. As humans were the only ones in close proximity to the vehicle, I would be very afraid that was the
case.
The police do not have an easy job, but they do have a tendency to bring problems on themselves.
Is it "power trips" they feel the need to express?
Better they use "common sense," before there is a major outcry against them, and people really lose respect.
They won't even be able to find a "snitch" out there if they keep abusing their authority-and then how many crimes will they solve?
Better not start something they are not prepared to finish!

How much of an outcry would there be in Canada if US state police would have shot a Canadian in similar circumstances in Idaho and would not provide information to at least the family?

Umm, sadly we have been in a position to fear the bullies with badges for some time now. Yes, it is true that there are some "bad boys" on the force. What we need is a better screening process on the job applications. "No Bullies Allowed". No power trippers. No one with "little man" syndrome. No trigger happy people looking for "legal" ways to bury someone. More men on the job so they don't have to go out in singles and fear for their own safety during a rough encounter.

I understand the fear they must feel when they are rendered helpless by the laws that protect the ciminals they are pursuing. The criminals have more rights than the cops do and nowadays, the criminals are actually killing the cops. It is a no win situation until we can place better trained and better equipped police forces on the streets and have some laws that might actually make a criminal think twice before "stepping into the line of fire". It is sheer stupidity that some of the criminals who are roaming free today - are actually roaming free....

Is a person who has a psycholigical illness responsible for his or her acts?

As I have said several times before, there are individuals who are free to live in the open within our society who, many decades ago, used to be in much more professional care through group homes or even more secure mental institutes.

Times changed with the advent of more and more mood controlling drugs and our discovering of the treatment "patients" received in some of those institutes and residences.

The result is much more freedom, less cost, but possibly more problems, or problems which become known to us because they occur in the public's eye.

From the media, it appears that Don Lewis was bipolar and was on medications for that. As can be the case, people forget to take their medications, people do not have money for their medications, people have been removed inadvertently from access to their medications, etc. etc.

Is someone who is bipolar and commits a crime, a criminal? That depends whether a judge considers the person to be in control of his actions. In the case of someone who is diagnosed as bipolar, that would be questionable. I certainly would not call the person a criminal, even though the act committed is a criminal act.

"Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a BRAIN DISORDER that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function. Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide."

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/Publicat/bipolar.cfm

Should police be trained to recognize such disorders on the street and learn how to handle such a situation with least impact on the individual? You bet!!!

They encounter more than the average in their regular duties and if they were to treat them as they did Don Lewis, more people with such "handicaps" would be killed or physically maimed for life.

I hope there is a coroner's inquest into this matter and that they think long and hard about recommendations which should come from this and similar incidents. If society puts such people on the streets then society is as responsible for their safekeeping as if they were in a home which is set up to protect them from the consequence of their illness.

Your information on mental illness is misguided. Bipolars are not violent. End of story... you ever have a day where you felt like you could accomplish any task. You decide you can redo your bathroom even though you have no idea how to do any of the work. Ok combine that with a good solid case of ADHD and mulitply the feeling by 10. That is what the manic is like. You don't decide to kill someone you decide to rebuild your life in numerous ways at once.

The second part is the depressive part. If you have no experience with depression than you can't imagine what it is like. Everyone feels a little blue sometimes. With depression you feel utterly useless. Somedays you feel like you don't even deserve to see the sunlight. The only people depressives are a danger to, are themselves.

I agree with you increased training is always a good thing but to imply that this tragedy came about because the person was bipolar is irresponsible and damaging to the mental illness community. You are inserting an agenda where it isn't relevant.

As for the police looking for action. They were doing there job... policing. They figured there would be people drinking and driving which is against the law so they went to arrest those that did. Proactive is a much better approach than reactive.

These are both tragic incidences in policing however, when compared to other areas of the world the RCMP are doing a great job.

Can take 10 years of medical research on a patient from the advent of bipolar to it being diagnosed.
No officer could determine the mental condition of a fugitive-or question as to how to handle such an individual. To even suggest they could is absolutely ridiculous.
Bipolar sufferers can become violent-and that is one reason they were placed in isolation in mental institutions-so they could not harm themselves or "others."
Common sense has to enter into the actions of the police-and lets evaluate the "power trip" cops sent out to deal with the public.
They are just as likely to be mentally
unbalanced as any other individual.
C'm Don M., you should be able to end these fallacies posted above.
Now we are all going to get the scoop!

I love all experts with all the answers without personal knowledge of the situation. If the cops are not talking its for a reason and I trust the RCMP more than a criminal.