News Release

Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP Releases Final Report on a Chair-Initiated Complaint Shooting Death of Ian Bush Houston, British Columbia October 29, 2005

Vancouver, B.C., November 29, 2007 – Paul E. Kennedy, Chair of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP (CPC), today released the final report on his review of the shooting death of Mr. Ian Bush, of Houston, British Columbia.

On October 29, 2005, Mr. Bush was fatally shot by Constable Paul Koester at the Houston RCMP Detachment in British Columbia. The Constable was in the process of releasing Mr. Bush from custody at the RCMP detachment after he had been arrested for obstruction for giving Constable Koester a false name. Constable Koester had initially detained Mr. Bush for having consumed alcohol in a public place during the intermission at a local hockey game.

The RCMP completed a criminal investigation into the shooting death of Mr. Bush. The investigation was reviewed by the New Westminster Police Department and forwarded to the Crown Prosecutor's Office. The Attorney General of the Province of British Columbia determined that no criminal charges would be laid.

In his Final Report, Mr. Kennedy makes two significant findings:

1. Constable Koester had a reasonable apprehension of death and believed that he could not otherwise preserve himself from death other than to use lethal force. Constable Koester's actions were consistent with the self-defence provisions as contained in subsection 34(2) of the Criminal Code of Canada. In addition, given Constable Koester had tried lesser forms of intervention that were not successful, Constable Koester was authorized under the RCMP's use of force policy to use lethal force;
2. The North District Major Crime Unit conducted a highly professional investigation into Mr. Bush's death and exemplified the best practices for major crime investigations. The North District Major Crime Unit conducted the investigation into Mr. Bush's death in a timely manner free from any manner of conflict of interest, bias or partiality.

Mr. Kennedy has also made a number of adverse findings and several recommendations, some of which have been partially or completely rejected by the Commissioner of the RCMP. Many of the recommendations apply not only to RCMP members in Houston, British Columbia and RCMP "E" Division, but also to RCMP members on a national level.For this reason, Mr. Kennedy is providing this report to Solicitors General in RCMP contract policing provinces, in the hope his actions in this regard will further the debate on issues that are national in scope.

Key recommendations include:

• RCMP install automated CCTV recording equipment in every RCMP detachment in areas where prisoners are dealt with and released;
• RCMP amend field training evaluation procedures to ensure that the evaluation of new members is not completed until outstanding member investigations, of a serious nature, are concluded;
• RCMP develop policy to provide direction to on-scene RCMP members in major cases involving investigation of police conduct; and
• RCMP develop a media and communications strategy specifically for police-involved shootings that recognizes the need for regular, meaningful and timely updates to the media and to the public.

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For more information, please contact:

Nelson Kalil
Manager, Communications
613-952-2452
nelson.kalil@cpc-cpp.gc.ca

James Lévêque
Media Relations
613-797-5706