Warning: This story contains disturbing details.
EDMONTON – One of the first officers to arrive on scene when a young man was beheaded on a Greyhound bus in 2008 has taken his own life.
Ken Barker, 51, had recently retired from the RCMP.
He killed himself over the weekend.
Barker’s family says he had been struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder for years.
READ MORE: Is there enough mental health support for first responders?
In July 2008, Vince Li stabbed, mutilated, and beheaded 22-year-old Tim McLean on a Greyhound bus on the Trans-Canada Highway west of Winnipeg.
The bus pulled over near Portage la Prairie, and Li continued mutilating McLean’s body.
Passengers fled the bus and stood outside. Li eventually escaped through a window and was arrested.
He was later found not criminally responsible because of mental illness.
READ MORE: 13 first responders, 13 suicides, 10 weeks
Barker’s family is speaking out about the suicide with the hope that more RCMP members will seek help.
A memorial for Barker will be held on Friday.
With files from The Canadian Press
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