INTRUDER AT RIDEAU HALL
Armed Forces member arrested
An armed member of the Canadian Armed Forces has been arrested after a black pickup truck crashed through the gates of Rideau Hall and drove up the path toward the official residences of Gov. Gen. Julie Payette and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday morning.
The RCMP apprehended the man shortly after the vehicle broke through the Thomas Gate at around 6:40 a.m. local time. The impact with the gate disabled the truck and triggered the vehicle’s airbags.
“The armed suspect then proceeded on foot on the grounds of Rideau Hall ... where he was rapidly contained by RCMP members who were on patrol,” police said in a statement.
An RCMP officer then “began dialogue with the suspect,” the force said, while its National Division Emergency Response Team was sent to the scene, arriving shortly after 7 a.m. The man was arrested without incident just before 8:30 a.m. and taken into custody.
Neither the prime minister nor the Governor General was home at the time of the incident.
RCMP said charges were pending against the man.
The individual has been identified as Corey Hurren, according to
Canadian military sources. He is currently a reservist with the Canadian Forces.
Hurren’s Linked-in profile shows he is the owner of Grindhouse Fine Foods in Bowsman, Manitoba.
RCMP disclosed neither a motive for the incident, nor the type of weapon the man is alleged to have carried.
The CBC cited a source as saying the man had driven his truck from Manitoba, some 2,000 km east of Ottawa, and had a long gun and a note with him.
The CBC also reported the suspect is a Canadian Ranger, a reservist unit that patrols the country’s remote and coastal regions.
Sources told Global News that the man didn’t indicate he wanted to harm the prime minister, but wanted to speak with him.
“As a precaution, the (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives response) team was also deployed to search and secure the suspect’s vehicle,” RCMP said.
A number of items, including what appeared to be Canadian Forces rations, were visible in the back seat. Pieces of clothing were delicately picked up and examined by the robot.
“Thanks to the swift and diligent actions of our employees, the incident that unfolded earlier this morning on the grounds of Rideau Hall was quickly and safely resolved,” said RCMP
Assistant Commissioner Bernadine Chapman, commanding officer of National Division.
The Office of the Secretary to the Governor General issued a statement Thursday to thank the RCMP and police for resolving the situation quickly.
“All of our staff are safe,” said the statement.
The statement also noted that Payette has only occasionally been at Rideau Hall during the COVID-19 pandemic. The home, the official residence of the Queen’s representative, sits on an 88-acre wooded estate.
“Given the number of staff required to support Her
Excellency when she is on the grounds of Rideau Hall, during the pandemic she has chosen to prioritize the health and safety of the employees of the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General by only being there when Constitutional duties require, such as Royal Assent,” the statement said.
“Prior to the pandemic, the Governor General was living on the grounds of Rideau Hall.”
Trudeau and his family have lived at the historic 22-room Rideau Cottage on the Rideau Hall grounds since 2015 due to massive renovations needed at the prime minister’s official residence at 24 Sussex Drive.