This claim was included in handwritten notes from the Nova Scotia RCMP Supt. Darren Campbell released on Tuesday as part of the Commission of Inquiry into the Mass Losses. The commission is investigating the April 18-19, 2020, outbreak that claimed the lives of 22 people – including a pregnant woman – and left several injured and many homes destroyed. The commission released a report Tuesday on how the RCMP and the government were communicating with the public about the incident. CLOCKS Did the government try to intervene in an RCMP investigation into the mass shooting in Nova Scotia?
Did the government try to intervene in an RCMP investigation into the mass shooting in Nova Scotia?
A report released by a public inquiry into the mass attack in Nova Scotia in 2020 suggests that RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki had promised the government to release information about the firearms used in the tragedy. MPs Taleeb Noormohamed and Raquel Dancho weigh in. In those notes, Campbell wrote that Lucki was upset that the RCMP in Nova Scotia was not disclosing more information about the weapons used because it had promised the federal government – which was examining gun control legislation at the time – that he would raise it. “As a police officer and commissioner of the RCMP, I would never take any action or decision that could jeopardize an investigation. I did not intervene in the ongoing investigation into the largest mass murder in Canadian history,” he wrote in a statement issued on Tuesday. afternoon. . Lucki did not respond to a request for comment. He said updates with the Minister of Public Security are necessary, especially during mass shootings. “This is a standard procedure and does not affect the integrity of ongoing investigations or interfere with the independence of the RCMP,” he wrote. “I take the principle of police independence extremely seriously, and it has been and will continue to be fully respected in all interactions.”
Mountain feared the release would “jeopardize” the investigation
The allegation comes from a press conference on April 24, 2020. During this event, Campbell told reporters that the gunman had two semi-automatic pistols and two semi-automatic rifles. He did not elaborate, but said some of the weapons may have come from the United States and the Canadian Border Patrol was assisting with the investigation. “The commissioner was obviously upset. She did not raise her voice, but her choice of words was indicative of her overall dissatisfaction with our work,” Campbell wrote after meeting Lucky a few days later. His handwritten notes describing that meeting became part of the committee’s investigation. “The Commissioner said she had promised the Secretary of Public Safety and the Office of the Prime Minister that the RCMP (us) would make this information public,” Campbell said. “I tried to explain that there was no intention of disrespecting anyone, but we could not disclose this information at this time. and safer in public. “ Then-Public Safety Secretary Bill Blair speaks with RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucky as they wait to appear before a Communities Committee on February 27, 2020 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld / The Canadian Press) In the spring of 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trindade announced a ban on about 1,500 brands and models of firearms, including two of the weapons used in Nova Scotia mass shooting – a Colt Law Enforcement Carbine, a semi-automatic weapon and a Ruger Mini. -14. At that time, the police did not disclose the specific brands and models used in the attacks. This information was not disclosed until the fall of 2020, when the National Post reported details of the weapons after receiving an information note prepared for the prime minister after the shooting. Campbell said he told the RCMP Strategic Communications Unit not to disclose information about the firearms because it could interfere with the investigation. “I said we could not because such a thing would jeopardize the ongoing efforts to advance the American side of the case as well as the Canadian components of the investigation,” he wrote. “These are facts and I stand by them.” Regarding the meeting with Lucky, Campbell wrote that some people in the room “cried and were moved by this derogatory rebuke”. In a statement, Lucki said she regretted her behavior at that meeting. “Several days after the mass murder, I met with Nova Scotia RCMP colleagues to discuss a number of things. This included the flow of information to the RCMP National Headquarters about research and the publication of information. It was a tense discussion. “I also regret the way I approached the meeting and the impact it had on those present,” he said. “My need for information should have been better balanced in relation to the seriousness of the circumstances they were experiencing. I should have been more sensitive in my approach. If I had led the meeting differently, these employees would have felt more support during this. which I know was an extremely difficult time. “
Blair denies any wrongdoing
During a fierce House Round of inquiry Tuesday, Conservative MP Steven Ellis accused Emergency Preparedness Secretary Bill Blair – who was then Secretary of Public Security – of using Canadian deaths to provoke of the Liberals. Mr Blair denied the allegations. “The RCMP commissioner confirmed to the committee that no such direction or pressure has ever been exerted by me or any other member of this government,” he said. The Conservatives continued to raise the issue during the interrogation period on Tuesday, and Blair went on to say that the RCMP commissioner’s police operations were independent of the government. “One of the most important tasks of the Mass Accident Committee is to address the significant communication challenges that were evident during this tragic event. We look forward to finding evidence-based findings and recommendations for improvement,” Blair said. The Commission’s investigation did not release any notes from Lucky. He is expected to be called as a witness next month. “The RCMP continues to be actively involved in the MCC. I will testify in the coming weeks and the RCMP will continue to support the important work of the Commission,” Lucki said in a statement. The Liberals introduced the C-21 bill last month, which would impose a national freeze on the purchase, sale, import and transfer of weapons to Canada.
