REGINA - Controversy and confusion continues over the accounts this week of the damage done to the Sask Party’s Regina Northeast campaign office.
Following an investigation,Regina Police had ruled out gunfire as the cause of the damage to the window at the campaign office of Sask Party candidate Rahul Singh.
But the initial claims from the Saskatchewan Party stated that the damage had been from gunfire. The Sask Party sent out a news release Tuesday morning stating “two bullet holes” were found in the window of the campaign office.
In Prince Albert Tuesday morning, Scott Moe told reporters it appeared there was “at least one bullet that was shot into their campaign office. This is unprecedented for our province and unprecedented in a campaign.”
“We’ve seen this in the U.S. presidential campaign, not in a provincial Saskatchewan election,” Moe said.
But on Thursday the NDP sent out a news release where they disputed Moe’s claim that Regina police had told him gunfire was the cause.
The NDP stated that according to Regina police, no police officer had even arrived to investigate the damage until after Moe had spoken to reporters in Prince Albert.
“Upon arrival – after Moe had publicly stated bullets had been shot into the campaign office – officers immediately ruled out firearms or ‘gunshots’ as the cause of the damage.”
The NDP then went on to accuse Moe’s team of changing their story, “claiming that it was a patrolling officer who arrived the evening before that told them it was likely gunshots. The Sask. Party then changed their story again, stating an officer was at the office before the campaign had called the police to investigate.“
The NDP then cast doubt over the claims that an officer was at the campaign office Monday night. “According to police, the staff sergeant and the superintendent in charge of the district both said no officer went to the scene until midday Tuesday.”
The release went on to demand Moe “come clean” if he was trying “to lie and distract the public by exaggerating petty vandalism.”
At Regina police headquarters Thursday morning, Deputy Chief of Operations Lorilee Davies informed reporters of a new wrinkle. She indicated to reporters that as it turned out, there was a Regina police officer at the campaign office on Monday after all.
“So it came to our attention this morning that one of our officers was out at the constituency office Monday evening,” Davies said.
“We unfortunately had no record of that interaction or attendance there, and so clearly we need to shore some things up on the communication front. We've been unable to speak to that officer. They've been on days off, but we clearly will be having some communication with them when they get back to work.”
“So I think that, you know, the big part of it is there's been a misunderstanding. You know, we take full ownership of that. We should know when our officers are out dealing with an incident, and unfortunately we didn't have that information when the question was asked.”
When asked if Regina Police ever communicated to the Saskatchewan Party or Scott Moe that there were gunshots that went off there, Davies responded:
“I don't know what the officer who attended Monday night talked to the people at the constituency office about. We haven't been able to talk to that officer as of yet. We just learned this morning, several minutes ago, that somebody was out there. So clearly something that we will get the answers to that question. I think the big part of it is on subsequent investigation, there was no evidence that it was gunshots.
“We had an experienced officer go out there, canvas for video, all the steps that you would appreciate in an investigation. And at the end of the day, we don't believe it was gunshots that caused damage.”
As for why they believe there were no gunshots, Davies pointed to not having any video, and no eyewitnesses to their knowledge.
“I mean, we've canvassed the area. Somebody could come forward. The nature of the damage, I suppose, there are two planes of glass. There was only one plane that was damaged. There was no bullet hole or bullet casing at the scene. There were no bullets left at the scene. And so those are the types of things we would expect if it was a firearm.”
Davies added that “there's many questions that I would like the answers to as well that I'm hoping to get in the next day or so.”
“My expectation as the Deputy Chief, that if that was the information that the officer gathered at the time, that they would have conducted an immediate investigation. So we have some things to shore up. I, like I said, have some questions that I need answered.”
As for whether the damage is in direct correlation to the election or was random, Davies replied that they do not know.
“I mean, there were a number of mischief incidents in that area over the time frame that this may have occurred that are not related to the election. And so I couldn't say whether or not that was the intent when it happened. I mean, I would say that there were these other incidents around the area. At this point right now, it is not gunshots.”
