Richard Kachkar granted conditional discharge from mental health centre

Richard Kachkar, who fatally struck and killed a Toronto police officer with a stolen snowplow in 2011, has been granted a conditional discharge from a mental health centre.

Kachkar was found not criminally responsible in 2013 in the death of Sgt. Ryan Russell after crushing him with a stolen snowplow. Psychiatrists diagnosed him with a mental illness akin to schizophrenia, saying his symptoms were more episodic than chronic.

At a hearing before the Ontario Review Board on July 13, his doctors and the crown jointly recommended a conditional discharge.

In a ruling published on Wednesday, the ORB placed several conditions on Kachkar’s release including that he reside at his current address, that he report to the Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences every two weeks, undergo drug testing and abstain from using alcohol or drugs of any kind, refrain from driving a motor vehicle and prohibited from owning a gun.

At the ORB hearing earlier this month, Russell’s widow questioned the “equality and fairness” of the system after she was told she could not read aloud much of her two-page victim impact statement.

“This process is unfair in so many ways,” said Christine Russell. “It has all but forgotten that Ryan was murdered by this man. It’s all about how fast he can be pushed through the system and given the all clear. Where is the accountability in all this? Why are so many people working for him and speaking up for him while the victims family has zero advocates.”

Russell said the only thing that would bring her some peace would be the see Kachkar behind bars.

“You may be getting your freedom but you’ll always be a monster hiding amongst us.”