VPD Const. Nicole Chan was released from hospital hours before suicide, inquest hears
Warning: This story contains detail about suicide that may be distressing. A list of resources for those struggling with suicidal thought or other mental health challenges is included at the end.
A coroner's inquest into Nicole Chan's death heard testimony Thursday about the Vancouver police officer's visit to the hospital just hours before she took her own life in 2019.
The 30-year-old constable had been despondent in the period before her death, the inquest has heard. The outside police force investigating sexual blackmail allegations she made against fellow officer Sgt. Dave Van Patten had recommended charges, but Crown counsel declined to prosecute. Van Patten remained on the job while she was on medical leave.
When Chan’s boyfriend Jamie Gifford found her in possession of a knife, scissors and a dog leash fashioned into a noose on the evening of Jan. 26, 2019, he contacted his best friend Brandon Gray, who testified Gifford was concerned Nicole was suicidal.
“She was having some problems, wanting to hurt herself, a mental episode, a full breakdown. And we had to call 911,” Gray said in an interview with CTV.
Five officers with the Vancouver Police Department responded to that 911 call, and an agitated Chan was detained under the Mental Health Act. She was brought by ambulance to Vancouver General Hospital, but the jury heard she quickly convinced doctors there that she was fine, and they decided not to admit her against her will.
One of the responding officers Const. Warren Head testified he thought Chan was telling hospital staff what they wanted to hear.
“I mentioned to them she was a police officer and had done this dance many times before. She knows exactly what to say to avoid being admitted to hospital,” he said.
Head asked the doctors to reconsider.
“I just advised them (that) I believed personally that she was a threat to harm herself and I felt that if she was to go back home, she might follow through,” he testified.
Head added in his policing career, he didn’t think he had ever apprehended someone under the Mental Health Act only to have hospital doctors decline to admit them. Chan family lawyer Gloria Ng said that is a huge concern.
“If we accept what officer Head said, that that’s not normally what happens, it’s interesting and troubling that perhaps something different didn’t happen,” said Ng.
Against the advice of fellow officers, Chan was released just two hours after arriving at the hospital.
“Honestly, we couldn’t believe it. We were all in shock she could even be released and in such a short time. So we ended up calling 911 again,” said Gray. “Unfortunately they said we can’t help her.”
While Chan appeared calm when she returned home from the hospital, Gray testified he was concerned for her boyfriend’s safety, so they all agreed Gifford would spend the night at Gray’s home.
The following morning the two men went back to the condo and found Nicole Chan dead, hanging from a bedroom door handle.
“One of the worst mornings I’ve ever experienced. And especially for Jamie and having to see my best friend go through that,” recalled Gray.
While Chan’s suicide note included the line “there is nothing anyone could have done”, Gray wonders if VGH doctors missed a chance to save Nicole’s life that night.
“There is room for improvement with the health-care system, there are so many issues with mental health,” said Gray.
He hopes the inquest jury makes recommendations aimed at better identifying and treating suicidal patients, adding “I would like to see something good come out of this for Nicole.”
The inquest will continue on Friday with testimony from a VGH psychiatrist and social worker.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, these are some resources that are available:
- Canada Suicide Prevention Helpline (1-833-456-4566)
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (1-800 463-2338)
- Crisis Services Canada (1-833-456-4566 or text 45645)
- Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.