Dear Editor,

It is an understatement to say that I am disappointed with the response of the police and the licensed firearm holder involved in the bizarre incident at Dovecot recently that resulted in the shooting death of a mentally ill man, 23-year-old Isaac Foster.

It is alleged that Foster was acting strangely and had gone to Dovecot where a funeral was in progress. It is reported that Foster started to disrupt the service and threw stones at the mourners. He eventually took the dead body out of the casket and was biting the corpse. His behaviour was obviously not normal and the average person should have realised that something was wrong with him mentally.

Social media reports indicate that a licensed firearm holder confronted Foster and shot him several times in his upper body. It is alleged that at least two policemen were at the scene when Foster was shot. My questions are: Couldn’t the licensed firearm holder shoot Foster in his foot instead of his upper body? Why was the police standing at the scene as if they were powerless? Is the police not trained and equipped with non-lethal devices such as tear gas and tazer guns to restrain or disable a mentally ill man who was apparently hallucinating? Is the remedy for people who are mentally ill and experiencing a psychotic episode the application of excessive force and violence? When are we going to treat mentally ill people with understanding and empathy? Can a civilian supersede the authority of the police at a scene where public order is being broken?

As a mental health patient myself, I can relate to Foster’s hallucination which led to his bizarre behaviour at Dovecot. However, despite his bizarre behaviour he is still a human being who has human rights, just like any other person. I have tried to bury the pain I felt while watching his demise on social media. When are we going to treat mentally ill people with some love, understanding, and empathy? Foster should have been treated as a human being first and a mentally ill person second, but he was treated as a mentally ill person first and a human being last!

For those who are saying he is a “mad” man, that “mad” man was someone’s child, brother, cousin, and friend, who had blood in his veins and had the right to life just like anyone else. He was a contributing member of society.

At 23 years old he was building his own house, he was a working man, and most of all, despite his affliction with mental illness, he had ambition and dreams. From all the reports, he was a decent human being. Unfortunately, mental illness can lead an individual to do bizarre things, and that is what happened to him.

What do we say to his mother and loved ones?

I am disturbed by the way society views and treats mentally ill people. Far too many view them as the rectum of society and at the drop of a hat are eager to annihilate them. I cannot wrap my mind around his death. How can we be so quick to kill? Foster did not deserve to die the way he did.

I am calling on Commissioner of Police Dr Kevin Blake to ensure that this case is thoroughly investigated and justice served. And I pray for the family of Foster and ask God to comfort them.

Civil society must stand up for this community. Where is the voice of our human rights group? Is it because Foster was mentally ill that this case appears to be a nine-day wonder? It would be a travesty of justice if this case gets swept under the carpet.

On behalf of the community of the mentally ill I express sympathy and regret to all the mourners at the funeral service who were impacted and traumatised by Foster’s bizarre behaviour. Mental illness is a serious challenge facing many families; it requires understanding. Let us spread awareness and encourage support for the individuals and families impacted.

The word is always love!

Andre Wellington

Mental health patient and advocate

andrewellington344@yahoo.com