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Whitman did give up guns to law enforcement under extreme risk protective orders, better known as a “red flag” law, but he turned down referrals for mental health treatment and failed to qualify for involuntary care.<\/p>\n While Whitman’s actions and thought process behind the bombing cannot be definitively linked solely to mental illness, KGW can explain why so few people qualify for civil commitment or forced mental health treatment \u2014 a topic that we’ve covered extensively for years through our “Uncommitted” series.<\/a><\/p>\n
On Monday, Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez said Whitman’s death and the MAC bombing provided a “sad example” of gaps in the state’s mental healthcare system.<\/p>\n “We need a system that serves those who are suffering from mental illness in a way that is more long term, more in-depth,” Vasquez said. “I really believe we need to do more than what our civil commitment laws currently provide.”<\/p>\n Civil commitment includes a high legal bar, as it takes away a person\u2019s rights to their own healthcare choices. More than 90% of mental health holds in Multnomah County don’t meet legal criteria upon review by doctors, county investigators and judges.<\/p>\n “On the other hand, a feature of a lot of these mental illnesses is you don\u2019t think you have a mental illness,” said Sgt. Josh Silverman of the Portland Police Bureau, who leads the agency’s behavioral health unit. “To rely on voluntary engagement when you don\u2019t think you have a mental illness is problematic as well.”<\/p>\n For years, KGW has shared stories of families<\/a> who struggled to get their loved ones<\/a> into treatment.<\/p>\n “We’re the monsters; we collectively we didn’t help this person who needed help,” said Jeff Rott, the father of a man who flew to New York while in psychosis and received care there<\/a> that he hadn’t received in Oregon.<\/p>\n The challenge is, civil commitment is now extremely rare in Oregon.<\/p>\n Fewer than five people a month are admitted to the Oregon State Hospital on civil commitment orders.<\/p>\n
Over the last decade, the state’s priorities have flipped.<\/a> Most OSH patients are criminal defendants ordered to receive treatment so they can “aid and assist” with their own defense.<\/p>\n The state prioritizes these cases due to federal requirements and a contempt order<\/a> that is costing Oregon millions of dollars.<\/a> Though there are efforts underway to increase capacity at OSH, it’s not proceeding quickly enough to make room for both civil and criminal patients.<\/p>\n As a result, civil commitment treatment spots are limited, leading Oregon to effectively wait for someone to be charged with a crime<\/a> before committing them to secure psychiatric care.<\/p>\n \u201c(Criminal charges are) often the only pathway someone has toward some level of mental health treatment \u2014 that is an absurd way of approaching this issue,” said Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton in a previous interview with KGW.<\/p>\n Many political leaders, judges and mental health advocates have said the best strategy is to build more treatment options in local communities<\/a> for early intervention.<\/p>\n “Everybody wants a fix that can happen tomorrow that’s very simple, and it feels like involuntary treatment is the answer, but the reality is that we need to build out our voluntary treatment,” said Tom Stenson with advocacy group Disability Rights Oregon.<\/p>\n However, community treatment often relies on people choosing to accept treatment options. Bruce Whitman\u2019s family members and Portland police said he repeatedly turned down treatment referrals.<\/p>\n
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\n Why wasn’t the Multnomah Athletic Club car bomber forced into mental health treatment?
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\n Timeline: Bruce Whitman’s interactions with the legal system before the Multnomah Athletic Club car bombing
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\nThe high bar for forced care <\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/b9e906f7-50b5-431c-b74f-c4cad6c5d256_1140x641.jpg\")
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\nCrowding and criminal commitments <\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/b5863bd4-eef8-4ec1-916f-900ff0b7787e_1140x641.jpg\")
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