HALIFAX –
Mount, who is leading an early response to the mass shooting in Nova Scotia, testified Monday that his plans to block the killer’s escape were thwarted by a “misunderstanding” of a subordinate and a crushing of competitive obligations.
That was one of the mistakes the staff sergeant made. Brian Rehill, a risk manager based at the Truro Operations Communication Center, said it happened on April 18-19, 2020, when he was faced with a “tsunami” of information while a deadly attack took place in the village of Portapique .
The public inquiry found that shortly after 10:44 p.m. on April 18, Rehil told Const. Chris Grund to settle on Hillview Lane, a short road off the highway four kilometers east of the community.
The killer, meanwhile, was fleeing with a spear of an RCMP car through the back roads around 10:45 p.m., after killing 13 of his 22 victims.
It was not clear from Rehil’s testimony exactly how long it would take Grund to reach the detention center and whether he would arrive in time to block the shooter. The policeman walked past his designated spot to the intersection of the main highway with the highway west of the dirt road exit used by the killer.
“There was probably a misunderstanding,” Rehil said during questioning by commission adviser Roger Burrell.
“I guess in the workload at the moment … maybe it wasn’t clear enough and he passed that (location), in my opinion,” he testified. “I have to own it … I could follow and make sure and say, ‘Chris, are you sure you’re where I want you to be?’
The public investigation made special conditions for Rehil’s testimony for health reasons. These included the release from cross-examination by lawyers representing the victims’ families, and the hearing was closed to the public. Its contents were approved for disclosure only at the end of the day’s hearing.
Rehil, who had been out of work for 18 months, was direct and truthful in answering Burrill’s questions for about four hours before quickly asking questions sent by other lawyers. He ended his testimony with a statement expressing his condolences to the families of the victims.
“It must be so terribly difficult for all of them. It’s a very sad circumstance (and) very tragic,” he said. “But I want people to keep in mind … that we are human. We wear uniforms when we go to work. We put our lives at risk all the time.”
A senior officer said he still suffers from nightmares, poor sleep and constant reminders of what happened in April 2020.
“Everyone put their heart and soul into it tonight and the next day,” he said. “They did their best. (But) when you analyze it, we could have done better. We don’t deny it. There are ways to improve … We are human too. We are all traumatized.”
In the morning testimony, Beryl asked Rehil if there was a way to check on Grund and send him back to his original position.
Rehil replied that he did not think he would look at Grund’s position with concern, as the maps he was looking at led him to believe that there was no alternative way out of Portapic. He also noted that if the policeman had been at the designated place, there was a chance that he would have been “executed” by the armed man.
Burrill released a short radio broadcast from Const. Vicki Colford at 10:48 p.m. on April 18, saying there was “some way” the killer could take to escape other than the road she was on. Rehil told the commission that he did not remember hearing this information because he was busy with other duties.
He commented that decision-making in general was influenced by the huge flow of information. “It was a lot for me,” he said. “It was disappointing.”
However, advocates for victims’ families note that there are also shortcomings in the RCMP’s ability to use its own resources and technology.
For example, while Rehil said she could not see small paths on her cards, the investigation had already received evidence from a supervisor at the Operations Communication Center that she did not have access to high-quality maps on the night of the attack because she could not find the correct passwords.
A study published last week said aerial maps – known as picometry – would give Rehil a clearer picture of the killer’s escape route past a blueberry field.
Beryl also asked Rehil why in the middle of the answer he was dealing with the provincial services for children and family, which called for four children whose parents were killed in Portapic. The lawyer suggested that this task could have been delegated.
Rehil agreed: “It’s like another task someone else can do.”
He said he understood he had to retire when he became a sergeant. Jeff West took office at 1:23 a.m. on April 19, but continued to give instructions. Beryl said Rehil was involved in the operation until 3 a.m.
Rehil said he believes improved models for early management of active firing need to be developed, with more risk managers allocating work.
“We can have a situation where three or four risk managers get in,” each with a different task, he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on May 30, 2022.
– With files from Michael MacDonald in Halifax.
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