VIDEO: RCMP Officer Speaks About Being First to Patrol with Permanent Blindness in One Eye
Video: RCMP Officer Speaks About Being First to Patrol with Permanent Blindness in One Eye
In 2012, First Constable Michael Jaszczyszyn of the Royal Canadian Mounted Patrol suffered the permanent loss of sight in his right eye due to a rare form of cancer. After training himself to fire his patrol rifle from his left side and practicing to improve his depth perception, Jaszczyszyn returned to patrol duties in December 2017. Since Jaszczyszyn returned to duty—changing RCMP policy in the process—two other Canadian officers with vision issues have also resumed active duty.
August 24, 2018
In 2012, First Constable Michael Jaszczyszyn of the Royal Canadian Mounted Patrol suffered the permanent loss of sight in his right eye due to a rare form of cancer. After training himself to fire his patrol rifle from his left side and practicing to improve his depth perception, Jaszczyszyn returned to patrol duties in December 2017. Since Jaszczyszyn returned to duty—changing RCMP policy in the process—two other Canadian officers with vision issues have also resumed active duty. Photo: Global News Canada screenshot
1 min to read
In 2012, First Constable Michael Jaszczyszyn of the Royal Canadian Mounted Patrol suffered the permanent loss of sight in his right eye due to a rare form of cancer, according to Global News Canada.
Surgeons were able to save his life by removing his eye, but Jaszczyszyn faced an uphill battle to save his career as a patrol officer with the RCMP.
In 2014, he returned to the job, but was restricted to desk duty.
After training himself to fire his patrol rifle from his left side and practicing to improve his depth perception, Jaszczyszyn returned to patrol duties in December 2017.
"I knew that I could do the job, and I wanted to do it," Jaszczyszyn told the news station. "I missed it so much—it's all I wanted to do."
Since Jaszczyszyn returned to duty—changing RCMP policy in the process—two other Canadian officers with vision issues have also resumed active duty.
More Training
Caswell Live Fire Spins Off from InVeris
Caswell Live Fire has spun off from parent company InVeris, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of Caswell’s founding. Over the past 100 years, Caswell has developed pioneering solutions that support military, law enforcement, and commercial clients worldwide.
Read More →
When Do You Transport a Wounded Officer Instead of Waiting for EMS?
Thumbnail for video series POLICE Topics, Tactics & Tips with a yellow headline that reads When Do You Transport a Wounded Officer Instead of Waiting for EMS?
Read More →
Coffee Break with Police Experts: Using Your Patrol Vehicle for Cover
In this video, hear from Dustin Mowery, a product specialist at Team Wendy, as he discusses how to best use a patrol vehicle for cover.
Read More →
Using Patrol Vehicles for Cover
While a patrol vehicle offers some cover protection when taking fire, remain mobile and don’t stick to one piece of cover indefinitely. Dustin Mowery, of Team Wendy, shares what he teaches about using vehicles as cover.
Read More →
San Francisco Police Recruit Dies in Training
Recruit Officer Jon-Marques Psalms, 30, reportedly suffered a medical emergency after completing a training exercise on Wednesday August 20, 2025, at the Academy.
Read More →POLICE and Flock Safety Present Webinar on Combining LPR with Real-Time Video
The webinar titled “Beyond the Plate: Real-Time Video Intelligence for Police Operations” will show how pairing LPR data with live camera feeds delivers faster, safer, and more coordinated responses on everything from stolen vehicles to active BOLOs.
Read More →
How to Join a Bicycle Unit
A great bicycle officer has a strong service mentality, paramount knowledge of laws, a thirst for new knowledge, and someone who can adapt to change easily. If this describes you, your agency's bicycle unit might be a good fit.
Read More →
Dave Smith: Be Prepared for the Ultimate Contest
You need to train like an elite athlete for the life-and-death challenge you may some day face on the job.
Read More →
First Look: Adding AI to Simulator Training
The new artificial intelligence feature for MILO’s VR and Focus3D simulators gives trainees a chance to practice and refine their communications skills while working scenarios.
Read More →