Veteran killed by police

CanuckShooter · #1 02-04-2014, 08:07 PM

A fair number of service people on this forum...I read somewhere that this poor fellow was given a $7000 pay out and a pension of $145 per month after 15 years of service to our country. I find this whole thing quite disturbing that our military vets are treated like this....how do you live on $145 per month...our government should be ashamed of themselves. Any thoughts?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/britis...ptsd-1.1190283

A man fatally shot at his home in a confrontation with RCMP in Prince George, B.C., was a veteran of the Bosnian conflict who was finally getting treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, says his family.

Greg Matters was a soldier for 15 years, his sister, Tracey, said on Thursday.

He left the Canadian Forces in 2009 and after he returned to his home town in northern British Columbia it became clear to those who loved him that Matters was suffering from PTSD, she said.

"There was a delay in him getting treatment," said his sister, who returned to Canada from Australia after learning her brother was dead.

30Cal · #2 02-04-2014, 08:22 PM

Best to wait until the investigation is finished, so both sides of the story can be heard, before passing any judgement on this one. Yet, it is a interesting incident considering the amount of force the RCMP used here.

CanuckShooter · #3 02-04-2014, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 30Cal

Best to wait until the investigation is finished, so both sides of the story can be heard, before passing any judgement on this one. Yet, it is a interesting incident considering the amount of force the RCMP used here.

Jury makes 9 recommendations in Greg Matters inquest

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/britis...uest-1.2517854

A coroner's jury has ruled the death of Canadian Forces veteran Greg Matters was a homicide, and has made nine recommendations following an inquest.

Bellero · #4 02-04-2014, 08:33 PM

The treatment of our vets by the current gov't is what what made me and my family sway our votes away from CPC. I will most likely vote Libertarian but I'm starting to think about voting liberal for the first time of my life!!

bigd · #5 02-04-2014, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CanuckShooter

Jury makes 9 recommendations in Greg Matters inquest

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/britis...uest-1.2517854

A coroner's jury has ruled the death of Canadian Forces veteran Greg Matters was a homicide, and has made nine recommendations following an inquest.

homicide= the killing of one human being by another

Every shooting that results in one's death, whether legal/justified or not, is a homicide.

HunterDave · #6 02-04-2014, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bellero

The treatment of our vets by the current gov't is what what made me and my family sway our votes away from CPC. I will most likely vote Libertarian but I'm starting to think about voting liberal for the first time of my life!!

If you care about our Military and our Veterans DON'T vote Liberal for heavens sakes. I say this as a Veteran with 27 years of service.

The story was tragic because the victim was a Veteran with psychological issues but he was after all armed with a weapon. I'm not going to second guess the Officer's decision because he was reacting to things that were happening in real time and hindsight is always 20/20. I think that the recommendations are adequate.

CanuckShooter · #7 02-04-2014, 08:52 PM

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. - One of the few facts not in dispute in the death of former Canadian peacekeeper Greg Matters is that he died on the ground at his rural British Columbia farm, shot in the back by one of the heavily armed members of the RCMP emergency response team sent to arrest him on a charge of assaulting his brother

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/10...n_4130912.html

Big Daddy Badger · #8 02-04-2014, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bellero

The treatment of our vets by the current gov't is what what made me and my family sway our votes away from CPC. I will most likely vote Libertarian but I'm starting to think about voting liberal for the first time of my life!!

I'm no fan but in all fairness they would do no better and probably worse.
Its off topic but I will never vote by party again.

As for the OPs questions.
The payout was a farce... they presented it as something that in the end.... it is not.
And... they presented it to a group of primarily young men with no families who knew little or nothing of what the financial implications would be.
Finally... they did it before most could actually appreciate what it would mean to lose a leg or their eyesight or live out their life in a wheelchair.

I doubt the pension amount reported is accurate.
With 15 years in..assuming he was medically released which seems likely... he should be recieving about 30% of his base pay when he released and indexing should have begun immediatley.

Assuming he was at least a senior corporal when he got out... the pension would be small but... it should still be at least x 10 that reported...or thereabouts.

The real screw here is the payout and a beurocray that does not favour guys who are not paper pushers or able to deal with frustration well.
And both of those conditions would be typical of a PTSD guy or someone who was (for instance) in the infantry.

Thank God I was grandfathered for my vets benefit.
As a result I probably recieve every couple of years what I might have recieved one time only.
In the long haul... I'm far better off and if I pass... so is my wife as she will continue to receive her widows benefit which is 50% of what I get.

Further... my vets benefit is not fixed.
If my conditions become worse I can be re-evaluated and see it increased.
Something... that the one time payout guys cannot do.

That one time payout is probably the worst thing to happen to vets in this country since the 1940's when they chopped up the Act and took away scholarships etc for the children of vets.

Its all about money.
The bean counters saw an opportunity to get out from under the financial burden created by WWII vets (primarily)... and they went for it.

Now...all they have to do is wait for all of them to pass on and for guys like me to pass to join them and they will be able to completely wash their hand of their broken toys by cutting a check.

CanuckShooter · #9 02-04-2014, 09:05 PM

The more I read, the madder I get.....shot an unarmed man twice in the back????? What is our country coming too??

“He was alone on the farm, no firearms. Nobody was being threatened. They could have waited a month. Could have starved him out, and he’d be alive today.”
“I just don’t understand how a domestic issue got so serious,” said Greg’s sister, Tracey, who lives in Australia and rushed back to Canada when she learned her brother was dead. “It’s such an overreaction.”
Greg had served as a peacekeeper in Bosnia and left the army with PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/deadly-disp...#ixzz2sPv3TfA9

http://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/deadly-disp...dead-1.1483419

Mr Conservation · #10 02-04-2014, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CanuckShooter

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. - One of the few facts not in dispute in the death of former Canadian peacekeeper Greg Matters is that he died on the ground at his rural British Columbia farm, shot in the back by one of the heavily armed members of the RCMP emergency response team sent to arrest him on a charge of assaulting his brother

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/10...n_4130912.html

If I recall correctly, he was shot in the back, as he was attacking another ERT officer with an edged weapon. From the numerous articles I have read, Mr. Matters had numerous run ins with law enforcement after his discharge from the military. That being said, the way our veterans are treated is a crime.

Mr Conservation

Big Daddy Badger · #11 02-04-2014, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HunterDave

If you care about our Military and our Veterans DON'T vote Liberal for heavens sakes. I say this as a Veteran with 27 years of service.

The story was tragic because the victim was a Veteran with psychological issues but he was after all armed with a weapon. I'm not going to second guess the Officer's decision because he was reacting to things that were happening in real time and hindsight is always 20/20. I think that the recommendations are adequate.

I agree Dave... as much as it pains me... a blooded angry vet with a gun... is more dangerous than the average baddy.
For starters... that vet is far more likely to fire and fire effectively with intent and no hessitation or even thought.

The military and war conditions guys to fight but we never spent much time learning how to retreat or surrender...and there is no substitute for hands on experience.

Sad.
Wounded overseas and died years later within reach of help.
We lose so many that way.

God speed... he is at peace now.

bison · #12 02-04-2014, 09:13 PM

Ever since these 4 dumb RCMP rookies got themselves shot at Rockford bridge the cops have been getting trigger happy.
Now it seems they shoot first and ask questions later.
Shooting someone in the back is as low as it can get
Maybe they're the ones needing their guns confiscated

NEWB · #13 02-04-2014, 09:15 PM

Shot in the back = murder with intent
Shot in the front = self defence

Since this was an RCMP shooting no charges will be pressed and it will be "justified". The officers responsible will be relocated and promoted.

Just another day in the life for the RCMP

HunterDave · #14 02-04-2014, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CanuckShooter

The more I read, the madder I get.....shot an unarmed man twice in the back????? What is our country coming too??

Matters was shot twice and, from one of the articles that you posted a link for, he was armed with a hatchet.

How can you come to any conclusion by skimming through two articles on the CBC and one on the Huffington Post?

CanuckShooter · #15 02-04-2014, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HunterDave

Matters was shot twice and, from one of the articles that you posted a link for, he was armed with a hatchet.

How can you come to any conclusion by skimming through two articles on the CBC and one on the Huffington Post?

He didn't have a firearm....the police approached him, he didn't charge them....don't they have rubber bullets and tazers??? I'm sorry there is very little in ANY of the reports that I read that can justify shooting the poor bugger in the back with REAL bullets.

troutbug · #16 02-04-2014, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CanuckShooter

He didn't have a firearm....the police approached him, he didn't charge them....don't they have rubber bullets and tazers??? I'm sorry there is very little in ANY of the reports that I read that can justify shooting the poor bugger in the back with REAL bullets.

Their is not enough info out to assume ANYTHING yet.

Yeah rubber bullets always stop guys....

But the news is always right....right?

untill all the info is out and official we cant come to any conclusion

CanuckShooter · #17 02-04-2014, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troutbug

Their is not enough info out to assume ANYTHING yet.

Yeah rubber bullets always stop guys....

But the news is always right....right?

untill all the info is out and official we cant come to any conclusion

Read post #3....it appears you are the one assuming things??....

troutbug · #18 02-04-2014, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CanuckShooter

Read post #3....it appears you are the one assuming things??....

read post #5

Big Daddy Badger · #19 02-04-2014, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HunterDave

Matters was shot twice and, from one of the articles that you posted a link for, he was armed with a hatchet.

How can you come to any conclusion by skimming through two articles on the CBC and one on the Huffington Post?

Hmmm...should have read the articles... I'm having second thoughts.

A hatchet? In the back? Twice?

Hmmmm... I dunno... seems like an all too familiar story here Dave.

Have to see what comes out in the wash I guess.

CanuckShooter · #20 02-04-2014, 09:49 PM

Others suggest that data from RCMP cell phones issued and used during incidents be collected and preserved for subsequent investigations.

Some of the recommendations are aimed at education, such as the training and utilizing of police dogs to apprehend armed subjects, and developing a program that teaches ERTs to use less lethal weapons. When Matters was shot, no ERT members knew how to use a bean bag shot gun, and only one was trained to use a taser.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/britis...uest-1.2517854

===============================================

Emergency Response Teams are not trained in the use of non lethal weapons??? They don't have dogs along....don't they train these guys??