By Canadian Press

Mass shooting inquiry: Two senior Mounties exempted from cross-examination

May 24, 2022 | 2:41 PM

HALIFAX — The commission of inquiry investigating the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia has agreed to provide special accommodations for three senior Mounties when they testify about command decisions they made as the tragedy unfolded.

Two of the Mounties, Staff Sgt. Brian Rehill and Sgt. Andy O’Brien, will face questions from commission counsel via a Zoom call that will be recorded and broadcast at a later date.

Josh Bryson, a lawyer who represents the family of two of the killer’s 22 victims, says this arrangement will make it impossible for him or other lawyers to directly cross-examine Rehill, who made key decisions as the first critical incident commander.

Meanwhile, Staff Sgt. Al Carroll will testify May 26 via a live Zoom call, and he will be provided with breaks during his appearance.

Participants and lawyers who wish to observe Carroll’s testimony, however, must remain off screen with their microphones muted while he is speaking.

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Last week, the Nova Scotia RCMP issued a statement saying the federal-provincial inquiry would be violating its own rules if Mounties who endured trauma were called to testify without some form of accommodation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 24, 2022. 

The Canadian Press