RCMP officers involved in N.S. mass shooting inquiry linked to gaps in earlier murder case

A number of RCMP officers concerned within the Nova Scotia mass capturing inquiry have been linked to gaps in a 2017 homicide case now present process a federal civilian assessment, together with the Mountie who visited the gunman for tips about native crime in Portapique.

The Mass Casualty Fee main the inquiry into the April 2020 mass capturing the place 22 folks have been killed launched new data Monday concerning the officers concerned within the case round Susie Butlin.

Butlin of Tatamagouche, N.S., was shot and killed by her neigbour Ernie (Junior) Duggan months after reporting him to the RCMP for sexual assault and harassment. Her case has been introduced up on the inquiry throughout panels round police oversight and gender-based violence, and occurred in the identical Colchester RCMP district the place the mass capturing started in Portapique.

Jennifer Cox, fee counsel, mentioned Monday the inquiry had lastly been given a replica of an inside police assessment of how RCMP dealt with Butlin’s case with officers’ names seen.

Cox mentioned the RCMP initially blocked the names as a result of it was “unilaterally determined as irrelevant to the work of the fee,” however they pushed again and a full report with the officers’ names was offered.

This delay in disclosing the officers’ names impacted the fee’s means to do their work as they interviewed sure officers or introduced them to testify, Cox mentioned.

“We did doubtlessly lose some alternatives to query them at the moment,” Cox informed the fee Monday.

Cox additionally famous different conditions, stories and inquiries throughout Canada the place she mentioned the RCMP has destroyed data they deemed irrelevant, just like the Colton Boushie assessment, or disclosed it too late to be acted upon.

“That is one thing that has been a course of that has a constant sample and has an influence on issues like this fee,” Cox mentioned.

The Butlin case turned a focus throughout a roundtable dialogue on the inquiry final month. Varied specialists implied that RCMP members concerned in Butlin’s case appear to have had a elementary misunderstanding of consent that affected the remainder of their interactions along with her.

One of many officers concerned in Butlin’s case was Const. Stuart Beselt, who led the workforce that walked via Portapique in the hunt for the mass shooter on April 18, 2020.

The Butlin assessment, accomplished in 2018, mentioned that Beselt responded to an incident at Duggan’s house on Aug. 21, 2017. 

That evening, his spouse April Duggan referred to as police to say she was nervous Duggan was going to kill Butlin after flying into “a rage” concerning the peace bond utility she’d filed in opposition to him on the suggestion of the RCMP. She reported Duggan had kicked down a door of their house, and he could be going to get a gun.

Beselt went to the Duggan house with Const. Rodney MacDonald, who additionally was later concerned within the mass capturing response and helped arrange containment in Portapique on April 18.

Each officers discovered Duggan, who had been ingesting, and he informed the officers he would “by no means harm anybody.”

MacDonald left to talk with April Duggan. Beselt then went subsequent door to speak with Butlin, however the assessment mentioned that dialog was not documented.  Quickly after this, police discovered that Duggan was driving his truck and he was arrested and charged for impaired driving.

The assessment mentioned this investigation was incomplete, and there seems to be “very regarding” data from the Aug. 21 incident that was “ignored or not acted upon,” together with how police didn’t take an announcement from April Duggan about what she heard or noticed, and no follow-up was achieved to see if Duggan did have a firearm.

Wiley dealt with report of harassment

The fee interviewed Beselt final July, earlier than he testified on the inquiry in March, however he was by no means requested about his function in Butlin’s case. MacDonald was not requested about his involvement both when he was interviewed by the fee final September. 

One other officer in Butlin’s case, Const. Greg Wiley, visited the mass shooter greater than a dozen instances years earlier than the mass capturing, and was requested to research the gunman’s threats to kill his mother and father in 2010. 

The assessment mentioned when Butlin referred to as the RCMP on Aug. 26, 2017 to report harassing messages from Duggan making an attempt to intimidate her to drop the peace bond, Wiley was assigned because the lead investigator. 

Wiley mentioned the messages with Butlin, and decided there was no foundation to put a prison cost. He additionally informed Butlin to dam Duggan on Fb.

“Given the continuing occasions for the reason that preliminary sexual assault criticism, these allegations ought to have been taken critically and a radical investigation carried out,” the assessment mentioned, together with getting copies of the messages and talking with Duggan.

“With out taking these steps it’s not possible to assessment and decide if any prices have been warranted in relation to harassment or intimidation,” the assessment mentioned.

The fee already interviewed Wiley final June, and he’s anticipated to testify on the inquiry subsequent week.

Considered one of Butlin’s finest pals, Suzanne Davis, mentioned she is aware of precisely what she’d ask the officers who dealt with Butlin’s case if given the chance.

“I might ask them why they weren’t listening,” Davis mentioned Monday. “They did not take her critically.”

Davis mentioned she’d wish to see Beselt introduced again earlier than the fee to reply questions concerning the Butlin case.

The fee will probably be taking additional steps to rectify this example, Cox mentioned Monday, to see if they will discover a option to “overcome the truth that we’d have missed alternatives to query witnesses.”

CBC has requested whether or not the fee has requested new interviews with Beselt, MacDonald or different RCMP officers concerned in Butlin’s case, and can replace this story with any response.

The Civilian Evaluation and Complaints Fee, the RCMP’s nationwide watchdog, introduced final month it is usually investigating how the Mounties dealt with Butlin’s case main as much as her homicide.