Pubdate: Tue, 27 Nov 2001
Source: Campbell River Mirror (CN BC)
Copyright: 2001 Campbell River Mirror
Contact:  http://campbellrivermirror.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1380
Author: Paul Rudan
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration)

MOTHER VENTS ANGER AFTER INQUEST

After hearing from 28 witnesses describe the events leading to the death of 
Adam Wayne Beadle, his family broke down and cried at the conclusion of the 
coroner's inquest.

"Everything has been so unfair," sobbed Jeanette Beadle, Adam's mother. "No 
one wants to take the blame."

As the jury retired from the inquest to deliberate their recommendations, 
Beadle wept along with her mother, daughter and sister who all attended the 
five-day inquest held last week at the Ramada Inn.

Throughout the inquest Jeanette Beadle maintained that her son "fell 
through the cracks" when he died last March 2 of a drug overdose while 
locked up in an Campbell River RCMP jail cell.

The 27-year-old Duncan man had come to Campbell River a week earlier to 
seek treatment for drug addiction. During that time he saw several health 
care workers and was put on a methadone program to ease his heroin 
addiction. However, he also fell in with the wrong crowd and began taking 
other street drugs on top of his daily methadone dosage.

On the afternoon of March 2, Beadle was found acting erratically in the 
downtown area. He was arrested by police, locked up - he was reportedly 
calling for help and frothing at the mouth while incarcerated - and died at 
approximately 11:30 p.m. due to respiratory depression caused by a 
methadone overdose.

 From the beginning of the inquest examining his death, his mother 
expressed skepticism with the proceedings. However, she took some comfort 
in the fact the jury came back with 12 recommendations.

"I was fairly happy with that," said Jeanette Beadle on Monday from her 
Chemainus home. "I think we were really lucky with the jury. My lawyer said 
he expected a couple of recommendations but we got 12."

Retired nurse Norma Soderholm was foreperson of the five-member jury which 
issued recommendations (see related story) to the B.C. Medical Association, 
B.C. Ambulance Service, the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the 
Registered Nurses of B.C., the College of Pharmacists, B.C. Drug and Poison 
Information Centre, drug and alcohol programs, the District of Campbell 
River, and the Police Academy Justice Institute of B.C.

"The recommendations must be reasonable, practical and be able to be 
implemented," coroner Charleen Phelps instructed the jury following the 
conclusion of testimony last Friday. "This is the most important part of a 
coroner's inquest. Your recommendations may help prevent future deaths of 
this nature."

Back in Chemainus, Jeanette Beadle is caring for Adam's one-year-old son 
Elmer. She is considering selling some assets to continue legal action and 
she is filing complaints with the RCMP complaints commissioner as well as 
with the B.C. chief coroner.

"I'm happy with the recommendations but I don't know how we can make them 
policy. That's my concern," she said. "I'm going to stay on top of them and 
I'm going to carry on. I want this stopped. People shouldn't die in police 
cells - they really failed my child."
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MAP posted-by: Jackl