The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer in charge of operations in the early hours of the 2020 killings in Nova Scotia testified before public questioning on Monday. But the public won’t hear what he has to say, not now, at least.
For reasons not specified by the commission, Staff Sergeant Brian Rehill was allowed to testify virtually, and his testimony would be recorded and made public at a later date. In addition, Mr. Rehill there is no need to undergo cross-examination by lawyers representing the relatives of the 22 people killed on April 18 and 19, 2020.
The decision prompted most families to boycott the commission’s work last week, and some even protested outside the courtroom in Truro.
Some believe that the effect of this accommodation granted to the police officer has not yet been made for a public inquiry into this scope. Ed Ratushnyprofessor emeritus at the University of Ottawa and author in 2009 of an essay on the conduct of public inquiriesbelieves that the commission must abide by the legal principle of equitywhich stipulates that administrative tribunals must allow participants to test the evidence […] by vigorous questioning.
The second officer of RCMPthe sergeant Andy O’Brienobtained from the commission the same accommodations as Mr. Rehill. He is also expected to testify behind closed doors on Tuesday.
Participating attorneys, including those representing the victims ’families, were invited to submit questions to ask MM. Rehill at O’Brien, but it is up to the committee to decide which witnesses will actually be asked. After completing the first round of questions, participating attorneys will be asked if they still have questions.
The commission explained its decision last Friday in a statement. Health information provided [qui nous ont été] data, allowing witnesses to give evidence in this way will reduce the stress and time constraints caused by giving oral testimony in live proceedings, the commissioners said. This format will facilitate testimony and therefore provide clear evidence.
The commission explained that the reasons for these special arrangements must remain confidential, as its decision is based on private personal information, such as physical or psychological health needs.
In an earlier interview with the commission’s lawyers, Mr. Rehill he confirmed he was out of work for 16 months after the tragedy, and found it difficult to answer questions about the decisions he made.
Dealing with difficult questions
For some relatives of the victims, the commission should never have offered the two policemen exemption to cross-examination. If the officers in charge cannot come forward and defend the decisions they have made, then there is something wrong with this whole process.said this Thursday Charlene Bagley, during the demonstration in Truro. His father, tomwas shot by the gunman on Sunday morning April 19, 2020, as he was walking inward West Wentworth.
It’s easy to sit there and recount what you were told to say, he says. Tough questions are harder to deal with. The truth hurts, but we need it.
Nova Scotia avocado Adam Rodgerswho reviewed the progress of the investigation on his blog, admitted that this kind of anger was justified. Participants were marginalized throughout the proceedings, and the inability to effectively cross-examine witnesses was at the heart of this marginalization.Mr.’s estimate. Rodgers in an email.
On May 19, the RCMP of Nova Scotia issued a statement saying the inquiry would violate its own rules if police officers who had suffered trauma were called to testify without any type of accommodation. This is required by the commission’s mandate respect the trauma suffered by people directly affected.
The Attorney of Toronto John MatherHe, who had previously served as prosecutor on the commissions of inquiry, believes that the commissioners in this case faced a challenge because they could not reveal the motive of the officers. Rehill at O’Brien was given special status. But according to him, the impact of the special arrangements will not be known until the commission submits their final report on November 1.
Confusion, misunderstanding and a “tsunami” of information
On the night of April 18, 2020, Staff Sergeant Rehill is risk manager at the operational communications center of RCMP in Truro. When the center received 911 calls confirming that an active shooter was in Portapique, it immediately took command of operations.
Sergeant O’Brien was off duty that night and drank four to five glasses of rum at home, but he took his portable radio from the detachment, with the help of his wife, and went with the command.
The investigation found that there was confusion as to who was actually responsible that night. The commissioner Leanne Fitchformer Chief of Police of Frederictonsaid the testimony revealed a significant communication problem.
The police officer who led the first response to the mass shooting in Nova Scotia testified on Monday that his plans to block the killer’s escape had lost the stability of misunderstanding of an employee and a host of competing activities.
This was one of the Staff Sergeant’s mistakes Brian Rehill he said he committed on April 18 and 19, 2020, when he encountered a tsunami information while the murder was taking place in the village of Portapique.
Public inquiry heard that just after 10:44 pm on April 18, Mr Rehill told the official Chris Grund to park at Hillview Lanea small road outside the highway four kilometers east of the community.
Meanwhile, around 10:45 pm, the killer fled in a replica car from RCMP through the back roads after killing 13 of his 22 victims.
According to the testimony of Mr. Rehillit is not clear how long the agent lasted Grund would have taken to get to the checkpoint and if he ever arrived in time to block the shoot. The officer passed directly from his assigned position toward the intersection of the main road with the freeway, which was west of the exit of the dirt road used by the killer.
There was probably a misunderstandingsaid Mr. Rehill under the inquiry of the commission adviser Roger Burrill.
I guess in the hustle and bustle of the moment, maybe that hasn’t been clarified yet, and he surpassed that. [endroit] I believe. I have to assume that, I hope I follow uphe admitted.
We are human
Lord. Rehill was direct and pragmatic in answering questions from Mr. burrill approximately four hours before responding quickly to questions submitted by other attorneys. He completed his testimony with a statement offering his condolences to the families of the victims.
It must be very difficult for all of them. This is a very sad incident [et] very tragic, he said. But I want people to remember that we are human. We wear uniforms when we go to work. We put our lives in danger all the time.
The senior official said he was still suffering from nightmares, poor sleep and constant reminders of what happened in April 2020.
He said everyone did their best, but when you break it, we would have done better. We do not deny. There are ways to improve ourselves. We are also human. Everyone was traumatized.
In testimony Monday morning, Mr. Rehill replied that he did not think he would consider the position of officer Grund with concern, because the maps he was looking at led him to believe that there was no other way out of Portapique. He also noted that if the officer was at the designated location, there was a chance that he would have been there executed of shoot.
I burrill released a brief radio broadcast on April 18 at 10:48 pm from the Officer Vicki Colford it is said that there is some kind of road which the killer could take to escape except on the road on which he parked. Lord. Rehill The commission was told he did not remember hearing this information, as he was busy with other duties.
He said his decision -making was generally affected by the huge flow of information. It was a lot for me and it was frustratinghe admitted.
However, lawyers for the families of the victims also mentioned that there are shortcomings in the ability of those RCMP use its own resources and technology.
A study published last week said that aerial maps, known as Pictometry, would give Mr. Rehill a clearer view of the assassin’s escape route along the field of blueberries.Brian Rehill believes that models for early management of active shooting should be developed, with more risk managers dividing the work.
Source: Radio-Canada
