CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C. - A coroner's jury has recommended that inmates in British Columbia get the medication and mental-health resources they need when they are released.
The jury looked into the death of James Butters, who was shot and killed by police during a confrontation on the Island Highway in Port Hardy in July 2015.
The Independent Investigations Office reviewed the shooting and said it didn't believe any police officer committed an offence.
In its decision in 2017, the provincial police watchdog said two officers issued repeated commands for the man to drop a knife he was holding.
It says when he ran at officers, he was shot.
The jury made seven recommendations including that offenders are given prescription medications related to their safety when they are released and that the provincial government assume responsibility for arranging psychiatric assessments before they are freed.
It also recommends that the Ministry of Public Safety require mandatory de-escalation training for all police officers.
