MCC Day 54 – Sup Darren Campbell Testifies and Senior RCMP Officers Point Fingers
It was a busy day for those following the analysis of actions of senior RCMP officers during the events of the mass shooting of April 18-19, 2020 and the press conferences which were held in the aftermath. Superintendent Darren Campbell, who was the third ranking officer in NS at the time of the mass shooting, was testifying in Halifax in the Mass Casualty Commission proceedings. At the same time, Federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair, RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki, and Chief Superintendent Chris Leather were all appearing before the Public Safety and National Security Committee. I was watching both proceedings during the early afternoon when there was an overlap of a few hours. There was a time when Commissioner Lucki was in Ottawa talking about how she wanted to be open and transparent, while at the same time in Halifax, Sup. Campbell was saying the same thing. Meanwhile the evidence was showing that Commissioner Lucki had quashed an idea to participate in a CBC Fifth Estate documentary, and Sup. Campbell had withheld information on firearms during a press conference. It was more than a little disorienting. The officers seem to recognize that their collective performance has received a failing grade, and are now trying to deflect blame from themselves to others in the senior roles in Nova Scotia and nationally, while at the same time protecting the reputation of the RCMP itself.
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