‘They should have kept him and made sure he was safe’

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This article was published 17/01/2025 (259 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A 33-year-old father who was fatally shot by a Manitoba RCMP officer Tuesday had sought care for his mental health struggles multiple times, but didn’t get the help he needed, his wife has told the Free Press.

Chelsea Lakatos-Wiebe said her husband Cory Wiebe’s most recent hospital visit was five days before he was shot, while he experienced a mental health crisis at their home in Dominion City, about 75 kilometres south of Winnipeg.

“They’d give him meds and let him go,” Lakatos-Wiebe said about his trips to rural hospitals. “He was crying for help and he wanted them to put him somewhere, but they pushed him away.”

Lakatos-Wiebe said the health-care system failed her husband and she called on the Manitoba government to improve access to care.

“They failed him, but they also failed all these children. He was their hero,” she said.

She said Wiebe, originally from Winnipeg, was a loving husband and father, who leaves behind seven children between the ages of two and 14. The couple had one child together and three each from previous relationships.

“He always made sure everyone was taken care of and loved, even though he was hurting,” Lakatos-Wiebe said.

The shooting happened outside the family’s house when officers from the Morris RCMP detachment responded to a wellness call at about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Lakatos-Wiebe said she had called 911 to request an ambulance, and then asked police to respond, to seek help for her husband, who was in a state of crisis.

The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba, a civilian police watchdog, is investigating the shooting.

The watchdog said it was informed by RCMP that the first officer to arrive was waiting for backup when they allegedly were confronted by a man who came out of a garage and advanced toward the officer with a metal object in his hand.

“Despite repeated commands to stop and drop the weapon, the male continued towards the officer, who then discharged his firearm,” a separate RCMP news release said.

The officer performed CPR until paramedics, who were staged nearby, arrived and took over, the IIU said.

A STARS air ambulance airlifted Wiebe to hospital, where he died, RCMP said.

RCMP confirmed that officers from the Morris detachment are not yet equipped with body-worn cameras. A province-wide rollout that began in November is expected to take 18 months.

Lakatos-Wiebe, 31, was in the house, where she had an obstructed view, when the shooting happened. She said she has questions about how the call was handled and the level of force used.

The couple, who were due to celebrate their second wedding anniversary in February, had been together for five years. Wiebe, a diamond driller whose job took him out of province for weeks at a time, was the family’s sole provider, his wife said.

She said Wiebe had a long battle with mental health issues, which were exacerbated when the family was displaced by an accidental fire at their home nearly two years ago.

They moved back about two months ago, after their home was rebuilt.

Lakatos-Wiebe said she continuously encouraged her husband to seek help, which resulted in several visits to rural hospitals.

“He wanted to get help, but he needed that push to go,” she said.

She said she accompanied him to Boundary Trails Health Centre, located between Morden and Winkler, on Jan. 9, after he was urged him to seek treatment for physical and mental health issues.

Lakatos-Wiebe said Wiebe, whose diagnoses included bipolar disorder, told hospital staff he had suicidal thoughts. She questioned why he wasn’t admitted to a facility for mental health care.

“They should have kept him and made sure he was safe,” she said.

“They should have kept him and made sure he was safe.”–Chelsea Lakatos-Wiebe

Lakatos-Wiebe said her husband was given medication and a prescription for additional tablets.

“He said, ‘I told you I wasn’t going to get the help,’” she said. “I was a hot mess because I knew I could only do so much for him.”

Lakatos-Wiebe said improvements are needed to ensure Manitobans get mental health care when they need it.

“I’m disgusted with the system,” she said.

In a statement, Southern Health offered condolences to Wiebe’s family.

“This incident is currently under review by the patient safety team,” a spokesperson said. “We are unable to provide any further information until the review is complete.”

A GoFundMe page was set up to provide financial support to Lakatos-Wiebe and the children. The widow, who is planning her husband’s funeral, said she doesn’t know how she will raise the children without him.

“He loved his family. He was truly a good person,” she said.

The IIU has asked witnesses, or anyone with information about the shooting or video, to call investigators at 1-844-667-6060.

Provincial law requires a civilian monitor to be assigned to track the progress of IIU investigations of police incidents that result in death. Civilian monitors are assigned by the chair of the Manitoba Police Commission.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca