Charlottetown officers didn't do enough to help Tyler Knockwood, his widow's lawyer says

Warning: This story deals with serious mental health concerns and suicide. Resources and supports can be found at the bottom of this story.

It's now a week into a public police conduct hearing into the death of 34-year-old Tyler Knockwood, and the lawyer representing his widow says responding officers did not do enough to help him.

The hearing is believed to be the first of its kind for Prince Edward Island. After it concludes, an adjudicator will determine whether six Charlottetown Police Services officers who interacted with Knockwood the day before he died by suicide were neglectful in their duties.

CBC News is not naming the police officers involved until adjudicators rule on their conduct.

Knockwood died in January 2023 at Province House, the historic seat of the P.E.I. Legislature in Charlottetown, where he had been among those working to restore the building.

City police were called to his house four times in the 24 hours before he took his own life.

During the hearing, police witnesses repeatedly said they didn't think Knockwood was in a mental health crisis. Officers testified that Knockwood didn't meet the criteria to be apprehended under P.E.I.'s Mental Health Act.

The last call to Knockwood's home was to issue an emergency protection order and remove him from the residence. An officer testified he found Knockwood locked in his unfinished basement, but said he was "very composed, articulate and polite."

Lawyers for the police officers established that the officers had training and experience in dealing with mental health calls.

But the lawyer for Laura MacArthur, Knockwood's widow, said the officers' investigations were not thorough enough.

Asha James noted Friday during the hearing that Knockwood had locked himself in his basement at home that day. She said he was experiencing a mental health episode that included him accusing MacArthur of poisoning the air and water. 

“There were some clear indications that Tyler wasn't well and that he was someone in need of help,” James said in an interview with CBC News.

She said the responding officers knew other officers had been also been in contact with Knockwood throughout the day.

“When you're now, you know, the second and third people dealing with the same individual on the same day in the span of … six hours, more questions should be asked,” James said.