The B.C. RCMP Divisional Headquarters is seen in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns
ECCHILLIWACK - A British Columbia man who began to deliberately hyperventilate himself daily before suffering a mental breakdown was sentenced to four years in prison last month after shooting at police in a 2022 standoff.
A psychological assessment found Daniel Hackl's breakdown was likely triggered by "holotropic breathwork," a therapeutic practice involving heavy, rapid breathing exercises that can exacerbate certain mental health conditions.Â
The sentencing ruling released this week says Hackl's friends and family had worried about his mental health in the weeks leading up to the May 2022 confrontation with RCMP, in Chilliwack, B.C.
The ruling says an emergency response team went to Hackl's home for a wellness check and surrounded the residence to try to coax him out, but Hackl fired three gunshots at two officers.Â
It says the officers had a ballistic shield and weren't seriously injured, and eventually set Hackl's home on fire to end the standoff with the goal of arresting him, killing him or having him "perish in the fire."
The ruling says that when Hackl came out of the home as it was engulfed in flames, he was naked except for body armour, and he surrendered to the police "while laughing."Â
The ruling says Hackl's mental state improved while being medicated, and a psychologist's assessment found that his mental health crisis was most likely triggered by the holotropic breathwork he took up around the time.
This report by ºÃÉ«tvwas first published June 25, 2026.Â
The ºÃÉ«tv Press
Get the latest from ºÃÉ«tvNews in your inbox. Select the emails you're interested in below.
For many Indigenous communities, access to financial services and economic opportu…
Trust in international money transfers has long been tied to physical places: a ba…
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Tax: | |
| Today's total: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
