Disgraced AFL premiership player Ben Cousins may become an involuntarily patient for a 28-day psychiatric assessment if a magistrate deems him a risk, the West Australian police commissioner says.
Cousins, who has a history of substance abuse, has been hitting headlines repeatedly in the past fortnight after a string of alleged incidents.
Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan said a magistrate could make Cousins an involuntary patient under the WA Mental Health Act.
"Clearly, Ben is suffering from a significant mental issue at the moment and that's what needs to be resolved," he told Fairfax radio on Thursday.
"There is some minor offences being committed, but the main thing is we've got to be concerned about his safety and his welfare, and the community has got be able to respond to that in some way and provide the care that he needs."
Mr O'Callaghan, whose son Russell has also struggled with drug addiction, said a pattern had started to emerge from the former West Coast Eagles captain.
"You can only imagine what his family are going through at the moment," he said.
"I've had problems within my family too with Russell.
"The amount of worry that you do about your kids when they're in this sort of state and you can't do anything about it really makes it very difficult to deal with."
Cousins was charged on March 11 with reckless driving, failing to stop and refusing a breath test.
Four days later, the Brownlow medallist was detained for breaching security at an SAS base, and was hospitalised for a mental health assessment.
On Monday, he was again hospitalised after allegedly driving erratically outside a Sikh temple he had just photographed, and climbing onto the roof of a two-storey home.
So far, no charges have been laid over those two incidents.
Cousins was suspended from the AFL for one year in 2007 for bringing the game into disrepute before making a comeback with Richmond. He retired in 2010.
Cousins is scheduled to appear in Fremantle Magistrates Court on April 8.
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