Court documents reveal why police feared they were targets at Coutts, Alta., border blockade

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Police believed weapons had been delivered to the Coutts border blockade for the particular objective of taking pictures officers, court docket paperwork launched Wednesday present.

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In informations to acquire (ITOs) search warrants on numerous properties related to the protest, Const. Trevor Checkley detailed the considerations Mounties had following an undercover investigation into the blockade.

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The ITOs, sworn by Checkley in February, particularly named three of 4 suspects charged with conspiracy to homicide RCMP officers — Anthony Olienick, Chris Carbert and Jerry Morin — as being of concern to police.

“I’ve cheap grounds to consider that Olienick, Carbert and Morin had been a part of a bunch that participated within the Coutts blockade and introduced firearms into the Coutts blockade space with the intention of utilizing these firearms in opposition to police,” Checkley wrote.

And Checkley, within the purposes that supported search warrants issued by provincial court docket Choose Kristin Ailsby, stated police suspected there have been different unknown people concerned in what was believed to be a extremely organized group.

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Within the closely redacted ITOs launched by Ailsby on the request of lawyer Tess Layton, who represented a media consortium that included Postmedia, Checkley stated Olienick indicated protesters had been closely armed.

“Olienick instructed (undercover officers) that they had a whole bunch of weapons and 1000’s of rounds of ammunition,” he stated in looking for a search warrant on the accused’s house within the Municipal District of Willow Creek.

“When police executed a search warrant at (1st Avenue N. in Coutts, the place it was believed many protesters had been staying), police situated solely 15 firearms.”

The officer indicated he suspected there have been different members of the organized group that had not attended the protest, whereas some tools had but to reach when police made their arrests in mid-February.

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“I consider Olienick had tools saved exterior of Coutts, there have been members of the group that weren’t in Coutts and members of the group that transported among the tools into Coutts for Olienick,” he stated.

“I consider tools supposed for Coutts didn’t arrive.”

The blockade, which halted site visitors by way of the busy Alberta-Montana border crossing in a protest of COVID-19 health measures, lasted 18 days after starting in late January.

Checkley stated police believed the border blockade was deliberate upfront.

“I don’t consider that Olienick met his associates for the primary time whereas in Coutts,” he stated.

“Investigators, together with myself, consider that a few of this planning occurred previous to Olienick, Morin and Carbert attending Coutts. Moreover, investigators consider that the firearms had been introduced into Coutts from someplace exterior Coutts.

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“Investigators consider they’ve but to grab all firearms that had been out there to Olienick and the remainder of the group whereas in Coutts.”

In looking for the search warrant for Olienick’s property on Feb. 19 and 20, Checkley indicated there was some urgency.

“Olienick possessed firearms and was a part of a bunch that spoke about utilizing firearms in opposition to police. Police haven’t but recognized all members of the group and I consider there have been members of the group that weren’t current in Coutts. I due to this fact consider it’s in one of the best pursuits of police and public security to execute this warrant as quickly as practicable,” he wrote.

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“Primarily based on the totality of the circumstances, I’ve cheap floor to consider that Olienick, Carbert and Morin had been a part of a sub-group with free ties to (data redacted),” Checkley wrote.

“I consider the sub-group was arming themselves for a standoff in opposition to police.”

Police haven’t indicated any additional arrests subsequent to these made on the time of the preliminary searches on Feb. 14, which resulted in Carbert, Olienick, Morin and Christopher Lysak being charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

9 others had been initially charged with mischief to property and possession of harmful weapons, though costs in opposition to two, Johnson Chichow Regulation and Luke Berk, have been dropped.

A trial on the conspiracy cost is ready for subsequent June.

KMartin@postmedia.com

Twitter: @KMartinCourts