RCMP drop top officers' husbands from team liaising with N.S. mass shooting inquiry
The Mounties are replacing senior members of an internal team tasked with providing information to Nova Scotia's mass shooting inquiry because of conflict of interest concerns.
An emailed statement from the force says Chief Supt. John Robin is departing as leader of the team, as he is married to Halifax RCMP Chief Supt. Janis Gray.
Retired RCMP Staff Sgt. Mike Butcher, husband of Nova Scotia assistant commissioner Lee Bergerman, is also now off the team.
The force says Chief Supt. Michael O'Malley will assume leadership of the project team in August, adding that Robin and Butcher have "asked to step away."
The inquiry into the rampage of April 18-19, 2020, includes a mandate to probe in detail what happened during the 13-hour killing spree, including the police response and communication with the public and the families of the 22 people killed by the gunman.
The RCMP say they had assigned Robin and Butcher to the team because of their qualifications and experience, but they say concerns were later raised about the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Following an internal review, the force says the two officers stepped away to ensure the Mass Casualty Commission "remains a defendable, credible and transparent process."
Butcher's wife, Bergerman, recently announced she will retire in early October, days before the Mass Casualty Commission begins public hearings.
The hearings are scheduled from Oct. 26 until Dec. 10, with an interim report due in May 2022 and a final report six months later.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
This Toronto restaurant is no longer accepting tips. Here's how it's going
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff – tipping is no longer accepted.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
What new auto insurance reforms will mean for Ontarians, if they get introduced
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.