September 2025
“Police officers are people: we have families, we are mothers, sisters, fathers, brothers and friends. We understand the value of life and appreciate the challenges all Canadians face because we live them too. However, Members of the RCMP respond to the actions presented to us, the motivations of which are usually unknown – we don’t enjoy the luxury of a full in-the-moment history of what lead someone to high-risk behaviour and are highly trained to make decisions in a split second that can have lifelong consequences for the subject and ourselves.
When an individual chooses to engage in a dangerous and threatening confrontation with the police, we respond in the best interests of our own and the public’s safety. RCMP Members across this country put their lives on the line every single day, and they deserve, without question, to go home to their families.
Members have no way of knowing if a gun in their face is real or fake. Thankfully our Member’s training prevailed in this situation protecting themselves and the community they serve. Unfortunately, due to protracted media coverage and despite the findings of the BC Independent Investigation Office that the officer acted appropriately our Member, too, has now become a victim of the subject’s actions. Our Members have lifelong scars from those rare circumstances.
While we empathize with the pain of losing a loved one for family and friends, it’s important also accept the reality that officers respond to behaviour, not intentions, and that use of force is a last resort driven by immediate threats. Both things can be true.
We respect the BC IIO’s decision and so must others. Accountability must rest where it initiates, with the actions that forced those officers into making split second decisions to preserve life, including their own and the community they serve.”
Chris Voller, Pacific/North Director of the National Police Federation
About the National Police Federation:
The National Police Federation (NPF) represents ~20,000 RCMP Members serving across Canada and internationally. We are the largest police union in Canada. The NPF is focused on improving public safety for all Canadians, including our Members, by advocating for much-needed investment in the public safety continuum. This includes investments in police resourcing and modern equipment, as well as social programs including health, addiction, and housing supports to enhance safety and livability in the many communities we serve, large and small, across Canada.
For more information: https://npf-fpn.com/
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Media contact:
Sarah Kavanagh
Communications and Media Relations Advisor
[email protected]
