'Police hurts': Autistic Alberta teen living in fear after RCMP arrest, family says

More than three weeks after a 16-year-old boy with autism was arrested at a St. Albert playground, his family is still "mortified" and "flabbergasted" by the actions of RCMP.

Ryley Bauman was taken into custody at Albert Lacombe Catholic Elementary School on Oct. 2.

RCMP said they received "multiple complaints" about a "man" who was "erratic" and may have been on drugs.

"We don't know what happened but he does say 'police hurts,'" said his mom Laura Hawthorne, adding her boy is "traumatized."

"I've never had anyone think that he was on drugs. He's very typical of autism, almost textbook. So I just didn't understand. I still don't understand."

His family says Ryley was visiting his grandparents at the time. He told them he was going to go to the "swings" behind their home between dinner and dessert. The boy often goes to that park by himself, and his parents say there have never been any issues before.

Ryley is technically non-verbal, but his family explained that he does speak some words and can answer questions; it just takes him extra time to respond. They described him as a very timid and empathetic person.

RCMP said Ryley was unable to identify himself, so he was arrested for "his safety and that of the public."

Aaron Krause and Laura Hawthorne speak about their son Ryley Bauman (Jay Rosove/CTV National News).

The family said a camera on the grandparents home shows that police arrived at the park and left all within six minutes. They are upset that officers did not attempt to canvass the area to see where Ryley came from, since his grandparents can see the park from their window.

"While in police custody at the St. Albert detachment, in the cells, the male began engaging in self harm. St. Albert RCMP officers immediately contacted EMS, who attended and provided first aid before transporting him to the hospital," Insp. Ryan Comaniuk told reporters on Oct. 8.

The family learned where Ryley was only after calling 911 to report that he was missing.

'NOT AS HAPPY AS HE WAS'

Ryley's mood has changed since the incident, his dad said, adding his boy is anxious and scared to go back to his grandparents' home.

"He's not as happy as he was. He's pulled back into himself," Aaron Krause said.

The family launched a GoFundMe and has hired a lawyer. RCMP have launched an internal review and the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is investigating the actions of police.

An ASIRT update last Wednesday said a 911 caller reported a "younger male" that was in his "early 20s" who may have had “some severe handicap” or be on drugs.

An apology from the RCMP has not been issued. That would be nice, the family said, but what they really want is for policing in Canada to change.

They want more mental health experts paired with officers and feel RCMP should be approaching situations like Ryley's with "compassion" rather than "fear."

"The best apology would be to ensure it doesn't happen to Ryley again or any of the other people that we know and love that are on the (autism) spectrum," Hawthorne said.

CTV News Edmonton contacted both the RCMP and ASIRT for an update on their investigations Thursday but neither would provide any new information.

With files from CTV National News' Bill Fortier and CTV News Edmonton's Joe Scarpelli