A tearful Mountie returned his red dress uniform after running afoul of a policy that says RCMP officers can't smoke medicinal marijuana while in uniform. Cpl. Ron Francis was prescribed the drug for post-traumatic stress disorder.The Canadian Press
A Mountie who publicly complained about not being able to smoke medicinal marijuana while on the job was subdued with a stun gun and charged with assaulting another RCMP officer, Frederiction's Public Safety Department says.
Alycia Morehouse, a spokeswoman for the department, said Corporal Ron Francis is undergoing a psychiatric assessment at the Restigouche Hospital Centre in northern New Brunswick after he was arrested last week.
An RCMP spokeswoman said the Mounties were concerned about Francis's well-being when they found him Friday on a street in downtown Fredericton.
Morehouse said the RCMP called Fredericton police for help because the city is not within RCMP jurisdiction.
She said Francis was hit with a stun gun at one point, but she could not offer further details, saying the matter is before the courts.
Francis attracted national attention last month when he spoke out against the RCMP's policy that says its officers cannot smoke medicinal marijuana while in uniform.
He returned his red serge on orders from his superiors, but he accused the RCMP and the federal government of not doing enough to support officers with post-traumatic stress disorder.
The RCMP said its officers who are prescribed medicinal marijuana should not be in red serge or regular uniform while taking their medication as it would not portray the right message to the public.
The lawyer for Francis could not be reached for comment.
Editor's note: A previous version of this article said Alicia Morehouse was a spokeswoman for the province's Public Safety Department.