There are serious concerns for the safety of police officers across Canada after internal intelligence from the BC RCMP warned of a violent declaration.
“It’s calling on individuals to target and commit violence against police officers,” Surrey Police Service (SPS) Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton told 1130 NewsRadio.
“Police in British Columbia were advised that there’s the possibility of either documentation or some type of manifesto.”
This comes after three officers were killed in the line of duty in this country in less than two weeks and one day after two Mounties were shot while responding to a call in Melville, Sask. At this point, authorities have not directly linked the manifesto to the deaths, but the timing has some making a connection.
June 22: Montreal police officer Mohamed Lamine Benredouane, 34, was shot and killed after responding to reports of a shooter at a Hilton hotel. A civilian was also killed, as was the suspect. A second police officer was injured.
June 11: Toronto police Const. Marc Pinizzotto, 43, was shot while officers were carrying out a search at an apartment building in the city’s northwest during a raid linked to investigations into multiple shootings, including one at the U.S. Consulate in March. A suspect who remained in hospital after being shot by police was expected to be charged with first-degree murder, police said.
June 9: OPP Const. Tarun Bali, 29, was killed in Hearst, Ont., while attempting to stop a vehicle. OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique alleged an 18-year-old who had escaped from a hospital was driving the vehicle when Bali was struck, and the suspect was charged with first-degree murder and other offences.
April 27: OPP Sgt. Brandon Malcolm, 33, was killed in a motorcycle crash on Highway 401 in Cobourg, east of Toronto. Police said no other vehicle was believed to have been involved. Malcolm had joined the OPP in 2020 and served on its precision motorcycle team, the Golden Helmets.
The most recent officer killed in B.C. was 51-year-old Ridge Meadows Const. Rick O’Brien, who was shot while carrying out a search in Coquitlam. Before that, it was 31-year-old Burnaby RCMP Const. Shaelyn Yang, who was fatally stabbed in October 2022 while trying to speak to a man in a tent at a Burnaby park.
Related articles:
Monday’s shooting in Montreal has left the city and province stunned. There is no confirmed motive at this point, but there are reports the suspect was part of a misogynistic incel subculture.
Montreal Police Chief Fady Dagher tried to keep his composure while discussing the fallen officer and his injured colleague.
“It’s a nightmare, but we have to be solid for our police officer who survived.”
A civilian was also injured.
Quebec Premier Christine Frechette described what happened as “reprehensible.” She adds, “In the face of this ordeal, we will remain united, supportive and determined to stand by all those affected.”
Her comments have been echoed by B.C.’s Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Nina Krieger.
“These incidents come amid a series of heartbreaking losses within Canada’s policing community, including the deaths of Toronto Police Service Const. Marc Pinizzotto and Ontario Provincial Police Service Const. Tarun Bali and Sgt. Brandon Malcolm in recent months,” Krieger said.
“These deaths and injuries are a stark reminder of the risks police officers face every day as they work to protect and serve our communities.”
She goes on to say, “As we mourn the loss of these officers and support those recovering from injuries, we honour the courage, dedication, and sacrifice of all law enforcement officers across Canada. On behalf of all British Columbians, we extend our deepest sympathies to the friends, families, colleagues, and communities of those lost and injured.”
Quebec’s police watchdog is investigating Monday’s shooting, while Quebec’s provincial police force, the Sûreté du Québec, has launched a parallel criminal case.
— With files from David Nadalini and The Canadian Press