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'I was having nightmares': Kelowna dispatcher’s PTSD lawsuit set for trial

Melissa Chatterton's lawsuit against Minister of Public Safety will go to trial
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Harry Richardson was found guilty on four counts at the Nelson Courthouse on Monday after a 2019 standoff with police. File photo

A former RCMP dispatcher who claims she developed PTSD after will get her day in court, after a B.C. Supreme Court justice rejected the province’s efforts to have the case thrown out.

Melanie Chatterton filed a claim for damages against the Minister of Public Safety, the Solicitor General of British Columbia and the Attorney General of Canada, specifically taking issue with a Kelowna RCMP district call centre manager's conduct, following the 2019 incident. 

Chatterton, the plaintiff, was a dispatcher at the RCMP Operational Call Centre, located in Kelowna. In 2019, Chatterton was dispatched for the Kootenay region when she got a complaint for a possible squatter. 

After dispatching a reserve constable and officer to the address of the complaint, she was later advised that one of the two officers was shot. 

The next day, Chatterton returned to work and was advised that the situation was ongoing. She then worked an 11-hour shift. Later, she found the incident "very stressful," and reported the matter to her supervisor. 

Chatterton discussed with her superior to attend the scheduled debrief of the incident, and postpone her attendance at an upcoming training day for an active shooter protocol.

According to Chatterton, she did not receive any response from Tracy Arnold, the district manager of the Operational Call Centre, about her attendance at the debrief. 

Chatterton told Arnold she was having nightmares about the incident and believed she would benefit from attending the debrief. However, according to Chatterton, Arnold advised her that the debrief “was not a social event” and stated “the members would be uncomfortable” if the plaintiff attended.

Chatterton then attended the active shooting training, but left after an hour.

Severe anxiety and panic were alleged from Chatterton after attending the training. She has not been able to report to work since Oct. 15, 2019 and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and generalized anxiety disorder. Chatterton was medically discharged on June 30, 2021. 

Chatterton alleged that the conduct of Arnold was "belittling, humiliating and embarrassing." Chatterton alleged that RCMP policies were not followed with respect to psychologically traumatic incidents.

The Minister of Public Safety, however, argued that there is "no genuine issue for trial as pursuant to the statutory scheme, the plaintiff’s allegations do not engage the liability of the Minister." The Minister also claimed that the "nature of the conduct of Arnold that is alleged to have caused harm to the plaintiff is management conduct, for which the provincial Crown is not liable."

Justice Anita Chan agreed with Chatterton and dismissed requests from the province to throw out the lawsuit. 

Specifically, Chan believed that Chatterton's manager owed her a duty of care, the duty was breached, and the breach caused her mental health issues. 

Chatterton's case will now go to trial at a future date, for which no allegations have been proven in court.

She was also awarded legal costs for the lawsuit.



Bowen Assman

About the Author: Bowen Assman

I joined The Morning Star team in January 2023 as a reporter. Before that, I spent 10 months covering sports in Kelowna.
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