RCMP tactics in Slocan, fear of de Groot

[A_Britishcolumbian]

myself and others have expressed our concerns about the tactics used by rcmp recently in slocan.

the people of slocan are now echoing those same concerns.

beware, there are users of this forum that will deny what the people of slocan are saying, and paint them as liars.

Slocan meeting airs concerns over de Groot shooting

Many Slocan residents were sharply critical of the RCMP Monday during a public meeting into last month’s incident that left a man dead. Some said the large police response caused them far greater anxiety than the events that precipitated it.

During the calm two-hour debriefing, moderated by former New Denver mayor Gary Wright, three senior Mounties heard also heard concerns about communication during the incident and about trauma police may have caused children.

For the first two days, residents were told not to leave their homes, while vehicles were prevented from entering the village.

He said he didn’t yet know the full cost of the police response, but acknowledged it was “an expensive affair” involving 150 officers at different times.

Roy acknowledged he would have liked to have done some things differently, although he declined to go into specifics. “This was a learning experience, and we learned that a community like Slocan City is almost impossible to lock down,” he said.

Several speakers asked whether police considered the effect of their actions on evacuated children. Craig Roussain, a custodian at W.E. Graham community school, told the meeting he was asked to get pre-school children ready to go when the bus arrived, but balked when he discovered a police officer with a gun on the front seat.

“I said to myself ‘That is not going to happen to daycare kids.’ … Meanwhile, a plainclothes officer with a shotgun burst through the gate yelling ‘Move, move, move.’ I yelled ‘Stop, they’re only kids.’ It was very scary for everyone. That level of angst needs to be addressed.” Roussain said he doesn’t know what children thought was happening, but is aware of one who will no longer let go of their mother.

Ezra Buller asked how police gauge a threat to them versus the community at large. “I felt a lot less threatened than possibly the RCMP did, and felt that you projected that on us,” he said.

Residents also wondered about police response to the de Groot incident in contrast to another incident a few years ago where someone went around Slocan shooting at public and private buildings. They said they felt let down by police, who did not make any arrests.

Others complained of a lack of direct communication between police and villagers.

“The community is upset with how things were handled and how citizens were handled,” Pat Ashton said. “We weren’t allowed into our town. It was very stressful for all. We’re hoping that from what you gather through these reviews, you take a hard look at the actions you took or didn’t take so other communities don’t go through the same thing.”

http://www.nelsonstar.com/news/281409481.html


a more detailed discussion of the slocan incident and the factors i feel precipitated it are being discussed in another thread here viewtopic.php?f=52&t=59046

[simnut]

This is called a debrief of sorts.

Can you imagine what would have happened if the police DIDN'T go into lock down mode and a child or some other innocent person was killed? They don't move to a tactic of this scale if they didn't think there was a danger.

A couple of things that occurred that exasperated the situation, and not always because of the officers.

1) Peter's worry, she said — which, owing to his medical issues could present more emphatically than is usual — may have been perceived as paranoia.

"Which, it turns out, was warranted."

The police, de Groot alleges, opened fire on her brother, knowing he had a small collection of guns.

"He ran away, and we consider any shots he may have fired to have been in self-defence."

2) Not long after, her brother was dead, shot and killed by police while lying down with a gun pointed toward the door of the cabin, she said.

A couple of things that de Groot shouldn't have done....and yes, you can say it's because of his mental state, which was admitted by the family. But perhaps that mental state was all the more reason to get de Groot into custody?

His sister stated "Four days in the bush without food or water. He had not committed any serious crime." Well he did at that point. He shot at officers.

I'm quite sure these officers didn't go into this situation thinking they were or wanted to kill this man.

[Oxl3y]

Can you imagine what would have happened if the police DIDN'T go into lock down mode and a child or some other innocent person was killed? They don't move to a tactic of this scale if they didn't think there was a danger.

Sure ABC and his other cronies would be on here making threads, screaming about police incompetence.

[hozzle]

There will always be zealots on both sides... there is nothing wrong with passing along information and letting people make decisions on their own or at the very least try and research as much as they can about the situation.
Not too sure who you were directing the first part of your post, but name calling just reduces credibility.

[Hassel99]

Don't we already have a thread on this issue?

[Fancy]

Yes.

[hozzle]

Don't we already have a thread on this issue?

I'm having trouble finding that thread, not opposing your note just seeking a link pls :)

Was it a semi-derailed thread, maybe?

edit:nvm I think this is it? viewtopic.php?f=52&t=59046

[Fancy]

Yes, sorry - meant to post the link.

[KL3-Something]

We'll at least that other thread now sits where it belongs.

[A_Britishcolumbian]

Can you imagine what would have happened if the police DIDN'T go into lock down mode

we do not have to imagine as it was stated in the op...

Residents also wondered about police response to the de Groot incident in contrast to another incident a few years ago where someone went around Slocan shooting at public and private buildings. They said they felt let down by police, who did not make any arrests.

quite a statement. we have never been told de groot shot first, and now the one piece of 'evidence' we have seen, the damaged police cruiser window, is questionable as to whether it was caused by de groot.

Tracy Cameron · Works at Huber Bannister Chevrolet Penticton
actually he did not shoot out the window of the rcmp car. If you look at where it was parked it was facing south he was on the mountain side and the police were river side the drivers window was shot so that means they shot their own window.

http://www.nelsonstar.com/news/281409481.html

[Smurf]

As usual we will never hear the whole truth and nothing but the truth. In fact probably nothing close to it. However I doubt that will stop anyone so inclined to, from blow it totally out of proportion. It amazes me how people with no real information can making a huge story out of things, true or not, especially when media hype is involved.

[Fancy]

actually he did not shoot out the window of the rcmp car. If you look at where it was parked it was facing south he was on the mountain side and the police were river side

Where's the photo? I've only seen the one photo and it showed the police car being towed away.

[Atomoa]

The RCMP brought a tank to the Slocan. Paramilitary gear. Hippie farmers with mental issues and a brain injury, or fighting the Taliban - they were ready to rock.

Was there any other outcome here? They got some real trigger training time logged. Looks good on their resume when they apply to special forces.

[Fancy]

Was there any other outcome here?.

There could have been if instructions were followed.

[Atomoa]

Tanks and military gear is not DE-escalation, which is what would have been the best method to get the man out of the Woods. Anyone that knows the community understands he would have came down from out of the Woods eventually when it was calm and a local would have walked him down calmly to the RCMP after a chat and some tea. .

They showed up dressed to kill. And that's just what they did.