Mountie tearfully recalls N.B. massacre that killed three officers, wounded two

An RCMP officer choked back tears Tuesday recalling how he tried to perform CPR on a wounded colleague as a gunman continued a shooting spree that left three Mounties dead and two others wounded.

“I was trying to save the life of a friend,” Const. Andrew Johnstone told the RCMP’s Labour Code trial in the June 2014 Moncton massacre.

Johnstone teared up as he testified coming upon a car with a smashed window and bullet holes. He said there was “complete silence” inside the car, and he walked up to find Const. David Ross shot in the head.

“Const. Ross was now shot. I was the last person to talk to him alive,” Johnstone said.

Moncton provincial court heard that it was a warm summer evening, and people were outside enjoying the warm weather as Justin Bourque opened fire on police with a semi-automatic rifle in an attempt to inspire a rebellion against the government.

Johnstone was among multiple Moncton RCMP officers who responded to the scene in Moncton’s northwest end.

The Labour Code charges against the RCMP allege it failed to provide members and supervisors with the appropriate information, instruction and training in an active-shooter event, and didn’t give members the appropriate equipment.

Johnstone said “something didn’t feel right” as he and Const. Eric Dubois approached woods where a suspicious man with two long rifles and what appeared to be a crossbow had been seen.

Johnstone said he caught a glimpse of the suspect being chased by officers, but soon joined the effort to assist Const. Fabrice Gevaudan, who was dragged into a nearby garage with fatal gunshot wounds.

He told Judge Leslie Jackson he waited for fire crews and paramedics to arrive for what “felt like forever,” but could have been minutes.

Johnstone said he didn’t know where the shooter was or whether he was acting alone. He told court that he lives in the area, so he called his wife to let her know that “at that time, I was safe.”

As police planned to set up a perimeter, Johnstone said he returned to his patrol car and unwrapped the new hard-body armour in the trunk.

“(I) caught my breath and realized what just happened,” said Johnstone.