This article appeared in the February 15 Brampton Guardian, a TORSTAR paper.

Peel police had come to D’Andre Campbell’s Brampton home many times to help, so why did this call kill him?

The 26-year-old Black man was shot dead by an officer on April 6 during a mental health crisis

Sabrina Gamrot
Brampton Guardian
Monday, February 15, 2021

While a Special Investigations Unit (SIU) probe concluded a Peel police officer committed no criminal offence when he shot and killed D’Andre Campbell, mental health experts say the 26-year-old Black man’s death and others like it could be avoided with proper law enforcement training.

On April 6 2020, Campbell was killed in his Brampton house while experiencing a mental health crisis. He called 9-1-1 and asked Peel Regional Police (PRP) be sent because his parents were trying to start an argument with him, according to the final SIU report.

Within minutes of two officers arriving, Campbell was shot twice by a police-issued firearm as well as stun guns. Family members were present during the deadly encounter.

Eight months later, Ontario’s police watchdog found no basis to criminally charge any officers involved. PRP will be conducting their own internal investigation into the officers’ conduct.

“The goal of Peel Regional Police is the safety and well-being of our community and tragically D’Andre’s death undermines that goal,” said Deputy Chief Marc Andrews in an interview.

Anita Szigeti, mental health justice lawyer and former chair to the Mental Health Legal Committee and current president of the Law and Mental Disorder Association, believes deaths like Campbell’s are “easily preventable, provided there are appropriate trainings” given to officers.

“I have been counsel on a dozen similar inquests into police shootings and charging of people in crisis,” Szigeti said. “Intersectionality plays a role. Particularly young Black men get shot and killed by police in greater numbers.”

Andrews noted officers had attended Campbell’s home more than 20 times before without negative outcomes. He also said Campbell’s death could have been preventable if law enforcement “hadn’t been there in the first place.” 

“We have a system that is using police to respond to mental health crises and we have racialized communities. That sets up a potential for what we have here, which is a disastrous encounter,” he said. 

D’Andre Campbell (middle) with his mother and father. Campbell family photo.

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The SIU report noted officers were aware of Campbell’s mental health issues, but did not discuss how they would handle the situation or de-escalation plans.

En route to Campbell’s home would have been appropriate for the officers to discuss the call and formulate a plan, said Szigeti.

The deadly interaction with police was less than 30 minutes. The report stated officers arrived at the home at 5:34 p.m. and paramedics pronounced Campbell dead at 6:01 p.m.

According to the SIU, officers arrived to find Campbell in the kitchen holding a knife, immediately drew their stun guns and began yelling commands to drop the knife.

“People in crisis do not respond to commands or police challenges and won’t respond by dropping their weapons, they don’t hear it and don’t recognize it,” Szigeti said.

“The best way to start talking with someone is to assure them that you are there to help them, that you want to know what’s happening for them,” said Jennifer Chambers, executive director of the Empowerment Council for CAMH.

When Campbell did not drop the knife, he was shot by a stun gun. A struggle ensued between Campbell and an officer. Campbell got up from the floor still holding the knife and the officers drew their firearms. 

“Within seconds, the subject officer fired his weapon twice in rapid succession, striking Mr. Campbell in the abdomen,” read the report. 

Two programs where crisis workers accompany police to mental health calls are available, but neither were deployed. Asked why, Andrews could not answer specifically, but said the programs are stretched thin.

The emergent nature of this call did not meet criteria for use of the Crisis Outreach Assessment Support Team (COAST), the SIU report noted.

The Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team (MCRRT) operates with two police cruisers, though a report introducing the CAMH program stated at least five cars were needed to adequately cover Peel, Andrews said.

Officers do have specific mental health training, said Andrews.

“But what we really need is to lower the frequency of when officers become involved with mental health crises,” he added.

Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Marc Andrews. Peel police photo

Chambers and Szigeti are convinced discriminatory attitudes about Black men and those with mental health issues being dangerous and violent play a part in these fatal interactions.

“The one stereotype on top of the other is the only explanation I can see for why so many of police-related deaths are people who have both these identities,” said Chambers.

Andrews said innate racial biases exist in everyone, including officers, but Peel police work to make officers aware of their attitudes through training programs. 

“When the response to mental health crisis is inadequate, it is logical that the racialized communities are going to be more greatly impacted by the flaws in the system,” he said.

“We are going to make some mistakes; we’ll hold up our hands and say ‘we need to do better.’ We want the community to know, as flawed as we are, we’re working to make this service the best, because that’s what the community deserves,” said Andrews.

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: After the SIU found no criminal basis to charge Peel police officers in the shooting death of 26-year-old D’Andre Campbell, we spoke with mental health crisis workers, lawyers and police about the circumstances surrounding Campbell’s death.