The threat posed by Isaac Brouillard Lessard is at the center of the debate as Monday begins the second week of hearings for the coroner charged with solving the death of police officer Maureen Breau. Are risk factors, such as the attacker’s drug use, taken seriously enough?
Dr Frédéric Millaud, who came to testify on the fifth day of the investigation, followed Isaac Brouillard Lessard for more than a year during his hospitalization at the Philippe-Pinel Institute in 2019.
The psychiatrist was unequivocal: drug consumption is an element of destabilization of the mental state, which can lead to the risk of relapse.
If he becomes psychotic again, he becomes dangerous again. It is a risk factor
an expert decides.
Furthermore, taking medication can constitute non-compliance for individuals with a court order and lead to re-hospitalization. Isaac Brouillard Lessard was not supposed to use but was not re-institutionalized.
Coroner Géhane Kamel indicated that the issue of failure to comply with the conditions compelled her uncomfortable
because he notes that leverage exists, but that it is not systematically applied.
Dr. Millaud specifies this in the risk assessment patients can restrain themselves even if they are very psychotic
.
Officers who intervened days before the tragedy that claimed the life of Officer Maureen Breau were forced to note that Isaac Brouillard Lessard did not pose a serious, real and imminent danger at the time they encountered him.
The psychiatrist points out that his patient, after leaving the Philippe-Pinel Institute, had to adhere to treatment and not take drugs. The investigation shows that he did not follow these instructions.
AND complex case
in Pinel
During his testimony, Dr. Millaud described a patient who arrived at the Institut Philippe-Pinel in a state of great disorganization, extremely psychotic
, hostile
AND distrustful
. The psychiatrist does not hesitate to say that the individual represented a the main risk
Right now.
The situation lasted for several months and required significant adjustments in medication.
Stabilizing Isaac Brouillard Lessard’s mental state was a particular challenge for the care team, who even discussed it during seminar of complex cases
specifies Dr. Millaud.
Once a month, psychiatrists meet to discuss cases selected few patients because they are particularly difficult
in order to improve their care, he reports.
Isaac Brouillard Lessard spent more than a year at the Philippe-Pinel Institute.
Photo: Radio-Canada
It was the case of Isaac Brouillard Lessard who continued to pose a high risk, even months after the start of his hospital detention.
The coroner was led to think about the fluidity of information between different health care teams.
She specifies that the Pinel Institute ultimate
in the field, but that Isaac Brouillard Lessard has greatly changed care teams and even regions over the years. Géhame Kamel spoke about monitoring with variable geometry
.
Maureen Breau lost her life on March 27, 2023 in Louiseville. We probably could have avoided this situation.
, comments the coroner to Dr. Millaud. At this Father Maureen Breau, who is sitting very close to the witness, nods.