Mounties murdered in Moncton ill-equipped: prosecutor

Rips testimony of former RCMP commissioner

MONCTON, N.B. — A former RCMP commissioner was “contrived” in his testimony at the national police force’s Labour Code trial stemming from the shooting rampage in Moncton, N.B., the Crown said Tuesday as he argued senior management knew for years that front-line officers were at risk.

Prosecutor Paul Adams called the testimony of recently retired commissioner Bob Paulson “virtually incomprehensible” and said Paulson contradicted himself in categorically refusing to acknowledge that officers were not properly trained or equipped to respond to the fatal shooting on June 4, 2014, despite overwhelming evidence that says the opposite.

Paulson had testified that he was involved in initial discussions about the introduction of the C8 carbine, which the RCMP approved in September 2011.

He testified officers were adequately trained and that the carbine rollout was reasonable.

“It’s disappointing. It’s evasive, contrived, selfserving evidence,” Adams said in his closing arguments before Moncton provincial court Judge Leslie Jackson.

The RCMP faces four Labour Code charges stemming from Justin Bourque’s 2014 shooting spree that left three officers dead and two injured. It is accused of failing to provide officers and supervisors with the appropriate equipment and training in an activeshooter event.

The C8 carbine rifles — a version of an assault rifle similar to an M16 — were not available to general-duty officers during the rampage.

Bourque received life in prison with no parole eligibility for 75 years after pleading guilty to three counts of firstdegree murder and two of attempted murder.

Jackson reserved his decision until Sept. 29.