On March 24 of this year, Anthony John Allen walked into the Weedon Pioneer Community Hall in Cochrane, Alberta where the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting that he usually attended was being held. According to witnesses, the 49-year old Allen then pulled out a sawed-off shotgun and handgun and told the other members in the room that he was, "the new sheriff in town and God had told him to come to the meeting with guns". They added that Allen told them that his gun was fully loaded and he was willing to use it. He also pulled out a bottle of vodka and a box of shells which fell to the floor. Another member, a former newspaperman, defused the situation and persuaded Allen to surrender without incident.
At a Calgary hearing in which the results of a forensic assessment was presented, Provincial Court Judge Judith Shriar ruled on November 23 that Allen was not legally responsible for his actions. In handing down her decision, Judge Shrier accepted the testimony of psychiatrist Kenneth Hashman who argued that the defendant had experienced a psychotic breakdown which led to his actions. Under Alberta legislation, Allen must appear before a Provincial review board at Alberta Hospital within 45 days for the resolution of his case. While free on bail, a house arrest provision has been included to safeguard his behaviour.
To be fair, this isn't terribly unexpected. You'd have to be insane to think Alcoholics Anonymous is a good idea. Treating a substance addiction with religion is like giving a crack addict heroin instead - you're simply replacing one unhealthy addiction with another.
Posted by: blah | December 02, 2009 at 03:47 PM