Police association group calls for ASIRT to abolish name-release protocols

Another Alberta law enforcement organization has added its voice to criticism of the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team’s decision to withhold names of two attackers in recent police shootings.

Howard Burns, executive director of the Alberta Federation of Police Associations, said it’s time for ASIRT to abolish its policy of not releasing names.

“This new ASIRT name release protocol is simply wrong,” said Burns. “If you read what ASIRT and their counterparts across the country signed off on, they talk about not releasing names because the thought process is (that) nothing more can be gained from not releasing names. That’s not true.”

In January 2015, St. Albert RCMP Const. David Wynn was shot and killed and his partner, Auxiliary Const. Derek Bond, wounded by Shawn Rehn — a man police later found dead in his Sturgeon County home.

At the time of the shooting, Rehn was free on bail with a lifetime ban on owning firearms and a lengthy violent criminal background.

Rehn’s identity was confirmed by RCMP shortly after the incident.

“What flowed from that was probably some of the largest and most sweeping bail reforms in the province,” Burns said. “Quite clearly, there is a public need to know. I think they need to rethink what they signed up for.”

On March 27, the suspect in an attempted Abbeydale carjacking opened fire on a pair of officers, sending Const. Jordan Forget to hospital with numerous gunshot wounds. The gunman’s body was later found in a burnt-out garage.

Less than two weeks later, a knife-wielding man attacked an undercover officer who was eating a meal in an unmarked police vehicle late on April 9 in Bridgeland, in what’s been described as a botched robbery attempt. The officer fatally shot the attacker.

“(The recent shootings) were serious, serious overt criminal acts. Had those offenders lived, they would have been charged criminally and most certainly their names would have been released. Why should they be protected by the fact that they died? It makes no sense,” said Burns.

ASIRT had previously declined a request by Postmedia to identify

Quite clearly, there is a public need to know. I think they need to rethink what they signed up for.

the Abbeydale gunman, referring to a 2015 policy signed by other Canadian police oversight commissions stating they won’t release the names of deceased “victims” for reasons of respect and privacy.

Anthony Heffernan, 27, was killed by an unnamed Calgary police officer in March 2015 in a Barlow Trail N.E. hotel room.

His brother, Grant, said his family wanted Anthony’s name released.

“We were the ones who released his name, we wanted his name released,” said Grant.

Grant said he feels that the names of those involved in the Abbeydale and Bridgeland officer-involved shootings should be released.

“I think it’s very fair — it shows transparency for the public as well,” said Heffernan.