RCMP did not provide adequate protective equipment in Moncton tragedy: verdict

A Moncton, N.B. judge has found the RCMP guilty on one of four charges under the Canada Labour Code related to the shooting of five Mounties, three of whom died, by Justin Bourque on June 4, 2014.

In a 64-page written decision, Judge Leslie Jackson deemed the federal police force guilty of failing to provide adequate use-of-force equipment and training for the situation, according to CBC News reporter Tori Weldon, who announced the verdicts in the Sept. 29 court proceedings live on her Twitter account.

But Judge Jackson found the RCMP not guilty of two other charges of providing sufficient information, instruction or training when responding to an active shooter in an open environment. He stayed another charge of failure to protect the health and safety of all workers, which he deemed to be similar to the guilty charge.

The case has been adjourned until Nov. 23, the sentencing date, Weldon tweeted.

Bourque was charged with three counts of first-degree murder after a lengthy manhunt located him two days after the shooting. He had killed Constables Fabrice Gevaudan, 45, Dave Ross, 32, and Douglas Larche, 40, in the incident; two other officers had been sent to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries (COHSN, June 16, 2014).

Bourque was sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole for 75 years in Oct. 2014.

RCMP management reportedly did not attend court, but the force did issue a statement from its Ottawa headquarters shortly after the verdict was announced.

“The RCMP respects the judicial process, and will review the decision and consider next steps,” the statement read.

The force added that it would continue to implement the Dec. 2014 recommendations by now-retired Assistant Commissioner Alphonse MacNeil on responding to incidents like the Moncton tragedy.

“The health and safety of our employees continues to be the top priority of the RCMP,” the statement said. “Today’s verdict will not change the tragic reality that on June 4, 2014, we lost three friends and colleagues – and nearly lost more – to the actions of one man.

“The murders… continue to affect us all, none more than the friends, family and colleagues of our fallen and injured members. Our thoughts remain with them.”

A previous RCMP statement claimed that the force had made “significant improvements in supervision, training, equipment, communications and aftercare” in response to MacNeil’s review of the incident.

Weldon quoted Crown prosecutor Paul Adams on Twitter following the verdicts. Adams declined to discuss possible fines that the RCMP may face, but acknowledged “some new ground in respect to how the Canada Labour Code is applied.”

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