A Nova Scotia woman alleges she was stripped of her dignity and mishandled by Halifax Regional Police, and is calling for officers to receive better training in mental health.
Breagh Martell, 20, says she was at The Dome nightclub in downtown Halifax Friday night when she got separated from her boyfriend. She says she then started having a panic attack while at a bus stop.
Police say they received a call, went to the bus stop and arrested Martell for public intoxication.
Martell says she had been drinking but was not drunk. She claims she was having a mental health crisis.
“I was panicking,” Martell said. “I knew I needed paramedics.”
Martell says she's has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and that her situation and emotions escalated when she was put in a police cell.
Martell claims she spent hours screaming in the cell, at one point removing her panty hose and gesturing toward a security camera simulating a noose around her neck.
“As soon as they came I said, ‘I am not hurting myself. I need my mom, my medication, I need my breathalyzer. I have a mental health disorder and I am panicking. I am freaking out and I can't control myself,’” Martell said.
Martell alleges that's when officers secured her to a chair. She says she was wearing a dress without underwear and couldn't cover herself up.
“When they put me in the chair they were like, ‘Oh God, her vagina is out. There is blood, oh God, we need to do something about this.’ They would say it, but nothing happened,” Martell said.
Martell says hours later paramedics were called and she was taken to hospital. Her body remains covered in bruises.
“I have cuts on my legs from the straps from how tight they were,” Martell said.
Police won't talk about the allegations, but have launched their own investigation.
“One of our senior officers is conducting a review and looking at the tapes from our personal care facility and we will be reaching out to Miss Martell as well,” said Const. Dianne Penfound of Halifax Regional Police.
Halifax Regional Police say they aren't able to offer more details until their investigation is complete. They say if an officer arrests someone for being drunk in public it's because they believe the person is a danger to themselves or others.
Martell is calling for officers to receive more training in mental health, just as they would for any other illness.
“(Officers) are trained specifically to know just by talking to you and your body language to know what type of drug or narcotic you might be on, and I think they should be trained in the same kind of way – to know if it's something other than something illegal,” said Martell.
Martell was sent home with a fine for public intoxication. She says she did nothing to deserve the ticket or the treatment by police.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kelland Sundahl.
