RCMP chief apologizes to families of Nova Scotia mass shooting victims for not being “what we should have been” Commissioner Brenda Luckie testified Wednesday for a second day before the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC) leading the investigation into the April 2020 massacre, where a gunman killed 22 people across the province. “I want to apologize for the RCMP — but in a way that we weren’t what you expected us to be and I don’t think we were what you wanted us to be or what you needed us to be,” Lucki said Wednesday after a day of questions from various lawyers for victims’ families and other participants. “I wish we could have been more.” Ryan Farrington, who has attended most of the public hearings this summer, was hoping for an apology from Lucki. Farrington’s mother, Dawn Madsen, and stepfather, Frank Gulenchyn, were killed by the gunman in their Portapique home on the evening of April 18, 2020. Ryan Farrington speaks to the media outside the public inquiry into the Nova Scotia mass shooting in Halifax on August 24, 2022. His mother Dawn Madsen and stepfather Frank Gulentsin were killed by the gunman in their home in Portapeak on the night of April 18 2020. (Shaina Luck/CBC) Before the apology, Farrington expressed his displeasure with Luki’s comments to the families. “If there were mistakes, you know, admit there were mistakes,” he said. “That’s all we want and we’re not getting it.” Lucki described the mass killing as a “heinous” event that “nobody could have predicted” and one that was driven by a highly motivated individual. He said that’s why it’s especially important that the investigation “get it right and we need to make sure that these recommendations help us.” RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki testifies at the Mass Casualty Commission inquiry into the mass killings in rural Nova Scotia on April 18/19, 2020, in Halifax on Wednesday, August 24, 2022. Gabriel Wortman, dressed as an RCMP officer and driving a replica police cruiser, killed 22 people. (The Canadian Press/Andrew Vaughan) He pledged to act on recommendations coming from the Mass Casualty Commission and monitor that progress — the timing of which depends on funding. The commissioner also apologized to members of the Nova Scotia RCMP for not being on the ground in the province in the days following the shootings as they dealt with the aftermath of the loss of 22 people — including colleague Const. Heidi Stevenson. When asked how she can assure Nova Scotia Mounties they will be better prepared and safe to serve in a similar situation, Lucki said none of the 22 victims should die in vain. Whether it’s new training, tactical changes, improving relationships with other forces to improve responses, Lucki said she is “absolutely committed to it.” Lucki also apologized to the family of victim Gina Goulet, who was killed in her home in Shubenacadie on the morning of April 19, 2020. Jane Lenehan, the lawyer for Goulet’s family, described for Lucki how Goulet’s daughter, Amelia Butler, had not received official next of kin notification or been told where her mother’s body had been taken. Lenehan also said the Butlers were allowed to find evidence in Goulet’s home, including a bullet, after a forensics team examined it. “I’m sorry it happened,” Lucki said, adding that she couldn’t imagine what that would be like. He said while there could be many reasons why this happened, “it really doesn’t matter why we didn’t live up to the family’s expectations.” Joshua Bryson, who is representing the family of victims Peter and Joy Bond, asked Lucki on Wednesday why it took RCMP nearly 19 hours to search the homes on Cobequid Court in Portapique where the Bond and Tuck families were killed. Lucki said her team was taking notes on all the issues raised during the investigation, such as information gaps between officers on the ground and at the command post during the shootings. He committed to addressing these issues. “I can’t explain what happened in the past. The only thing I can do is step forward and say, ‘You know what, I have a commitment to you, I have a commitment to the families — we’re going to look at it. ” Luki said. Twenty-two people died on April 18 and 19, 2020. Top row from left: Gina Goulet, Dawn Gulensin, Jolene Oliver, Frank Gulensin, Sean McLeod, Alana Jenkins. Second row: John Zahl, Lisa McCully, Joey Webber, Heidi Stevenson, Heather O’Brien and Jamie Blair. Third row from top: Kristen Beaton, Lillian Campbell, Joanne Thomas, Peter Bond, Tom Bagley and Greg Blair. Bottom row: Emily Tuck, Joy Bond, Corrie Ellison and Aaron Tuck. (CBC) Bryson and other lawyers questioned Lucki about a pattern of issues that arose during the response to the mass killing already highlighted in reports from Moncton, NB, and after the death of Colten Boushie, including how in Cobequid Court case, the Mountains did not follow national crime scene security policies. While Lucki said she has a “10,000-foot” view of things within the RCMP and may not know exactly what changes have resulted from various investigations or where progress has been made, she’s confident people in her national team are aware of the issues resulting from the mass shooting. “Where it is, who is assigned specifically, I can’t give you those details,” Lucki said. “I just know we’re not sitting back.” When Bryson asked if Luckey had appointed her own board of inquiry into the response to the mass shooting in Nova Scotia, which she has the power to do, Luckey said no. Speaking to reporters outside the inquest Wednesday, Bryson said it’s disappointing that many things that went wrong during the shooting have yet to be formally addressed by the RCMP or included in student training. “It’s been 28 months since this mass casualty event, which is too long for families to wait for some answers. There are issues that could be resolved immediately with a proper review,” Bryson said. Since the tragedy of April 2020, many families who lost loved ones have frankly expressed their loss of confidence in the national police. “What I’m taking away is that there is absolutely no leadership in the RCMP,” Farrington said after hearing Lucki’s testimony Wednesday. “How do you not know what’s going on? You’re the commissioner, the top officer running the show and you don’t know what’s going on? That’s not acceptable.” Lucki said some “high-risk” issues have already changed, such as new policies with the emergency notification system, but some are being worked on while the RCMP await the final report from the Mass Casualty Commission. The inquiry heard that the RCMP has reviews of the shooting response whether it was proposed, paused or drafted, but Bryson said it’s “very disappointing” to see there hasn’t been a comprehensive review. Another family lawyer gave Lucki an opportunity to comment on the entire Nova Scotia Mountie response during the shooting, including Portapique’s lack of restraint, the officers who shot a citizen at the Onslow fire hall and the hours-long delay in sending out a public warning for the virtual RCMP car. Lucki said any situation “can always be better.” Several families of victims represented by Patterson Law told their legal team they did not want blanket answers from Lucki, according to attorney Mike Scott. “I think what customers would want from the commissioner, and it would be true for everyone we’ve heard from the RCMP, is just to be honest, direct, transparent and tell them the truth,” Scott said. “It’s hard to believe that changes will be made when it seems clear that the powers that be are more interested in diversion than actually addressing the issue.” Scott said many of the families appreciated when Supt. Darren Campbell apologized to the families last month and promised to “do better”. After these remarks, Farrington stopped Campbell in the hallway to thank him, but said he was not ready to forgive the entire force. Lawyers also asked Lucki why she never knew there was a wellness report for senior RCMP officers and civilians in Nova Scotia until months after it was completed.
Lucki was concerned that she had not received a well-being report for months
Former Assistant Commissioner Lee Bergerman, the retired commander of the Nova Scotia Mounties, told the commission earlier this week that the wellness report came about only after she asked RCMP headquarters for immediate mental health support for senior ranks. Instead, the final report from Quintet Consulting was completed in September 2021 and outlined how participants felt about the underlying issues with the RCMP’s national leadership, policing partners in municipal forces, the shooting response and criticism of the same’s performance. by Bergerman. Lucki said she didn’t learn the report had been completed until June, when she was preparing to visit Nova Scotia for the first time since the mass shooting to attend Const. Heidi Stevenson memorial service and town hall with local Mounties. It was “deeply troubling” to learn of the report so late, Lucki said, and she asked Deputy Commissioner Brian Brennan and the new human resources officer why she had not been notified. “It’s completely amazing,” Lucki said.
The police following the Commission’s request for uniforms
Although Brennan and the HR official had no idea how the report got off the ground, Lucki said she was told last month that an action plan was in place to address the wellness report’s recommendations. The family’s attorneys asked the federal counsel to develop this action plan. Lucki has been wearing plainclothes while appearing before the Mass Casualty Commission in…
