Reservist arrested near Trudeau’s home
Armed man crashed his truck through the gates of Rideau Hall
An armed Canadian Forces reservist was arrested Thursday after crashing a truck through the gates of Rideau Hall, the grounds where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family reside.
The incident began when a man drove a black truck through the pedestrian gate at Rideau Hall around 6:30 a.m. The truck was “disabled” after it breached the gates, according to the RCMP, and the armed man continued on foot to a greenhouse on the grounds.
After nearly two hours of speaking with RCMP officers, who created a perimeter to keep the man contained, a suspect was arrested “without incident.” Although the man made it close to both the residences of both the Governor General and the prime minister, the RCMP said, neither family was home at the time.
“We can confirm that the individual arrested by the RCMP is a member of the Canadian Armed Forces,” the RCMP said Thursday.
A source with knowledge of the investigation confirmed he is a reservist. The man’s name was not released.
“The RCMP is investigating and charges are pending. No further details are available at this time.”
The Mounties’ National Division said the man would remain in custody Thursday night before being released on bail Friday.
Photos taken at the scene showed two boxes that appeared to contain Canadian Armed Forces rations, a leather jacket and a cooler being removed from the truck. Police used a robot to check the truck before drug-sniffing dogs and officers examined the scene.
A source with direct knowledge of the situation said it would not be unusual for Canadian Forces members to have boxes of rations. Known as “individual meal kits” or IMPs, the rations are also available for sale on the internet.
Thursday’s arrest came as hundreds of protesters from across the country descended on Ottawa to call for the investigation of the prime minister. There was no immediate indication that the man arrested Thursday had attended or been involved with the demonstration.
Protesters gathered on Parliament Hill on Wednesday for a Canada Day rally against the prime minister. A collection of nationalist speakers took to the microphone, including People’s Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier. At least one homemade protest sign depicted Trudeau being hanged.
The protesters marched on the nearby U.S. Embassy, chanting “lock him up,” where they presented the Americans with a letter calling for Trudeau’s investigation under an anti-corruption clause of the North American Free Trade Agreement, citing the SNC-Lavalin affair as evidence.
“Canadians know that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police did nothing to bring Trudeau to justice on these charges,” the letter said.
Protesters remained in downtown Ottawa into Thursday, camping out at the National War Memorial, across the street from Parliament Hill.
In a statement, Governor General Julie Payette thanked the RCMP “for quickly resolving the situation” at Rideau Hall on Thursday and said all her staff were safe.
The grounds of Rideau Hall are usually open to the public, but have been closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trudeau and his family have been living at Rideau Cottage, a home on the grounds, since his election in 2015 because the prime minister’s official residence at 24 Sussex Dr. has fallen into disrepair.