Ottawa, June 24 (IANS) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has denied meddling in an investigation into the 2020 mass shooting, the worst the country's history.
Brenda Lucki, head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), has been accused of pressuring local officers to help advance Trudeau's gun control plans, the BBC quoted the Halifax Examiner as saying, which was the first to report on the development.
According to the Halifax Examiner, the accusation stemmed from notes made by a local RCMP officer, released as part of a public investigation into the mass shooting on April 18-19, 2020, during which a gunman posing as a police officer killed 22 people in Nova Scotia.
The suspect died in a stand-off with police.
Addressing reporters on Thursday, Trudeau said that his government "did not put any undo influence or pressure" on police.
"It is extremely important to highlight that it is only the RCMP, it is only police that determine what and when to release information," the BBC quoted the Prime Minister as saying.
Denying the accusations, Commissioner Lucki said in a statement released on Tuesday that information sharing between the federal government and police is normal during a high-profile event such as a mass shooting.
The RCMP chief however acknowledged that she "should have been more sensitive" in her approach.
Canada's opposition Conservative Party has called for a debate in the House of Commons, and a parliamentary committee voted on Thursday to hold a hearing into the matter.
In the wake of the deadliest rampage in Canadian history, Prime Minister Trudeau in May 2020 announced an immediate ban on the sale, transportation, importation, or use of some 1,500 makes and models of "military-grade assault-style" weapons.
Starting Wednesday, B.C. is bringing back a public health order requiring people to wear masks in all indoor public spaces — including malls, grocery stores and on transit — to try to curb the spread of infections fuelled primarily by the Delta variant.
Witnesses intervened and came to the aid of the older victim, then called Vancouver Police. Responding officers were able to arrest the suspect before he left the area. Neither victim suffered serious injuries.
More than 150 youth had gathered in the park – many of which were under the influence of alcohol and other intoxicants. One youth climbed on to a police car, attempting to damage the cruiser.
In a news release, the RCMP say protesters tried to dig trenches along the Granite Mainline Forest Service Road and parked vehicles to prevent officers from leaving but the shallow pits were refilled and automobiles were towed.
Henry says about 75 per cent of B.C. residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but that number needs to be higher as the Delta variant drives up case counts, putting those who are unvaccinated at greater risk of contracting the virus.
Trudeau joined a special virtual meeting of the G7 leaders Tuesday on the crisis in Afghanistan and President Joe Biden is expected to face calls from some fellow leaders to extend the U.S. military commitment to the country beyond his Aug. 31 deadline.
