16 Oct 12: CBSA officer shot @ Peace Arch B.C. crossing

[The Bread Guy]

Here's hoping for a speedy & full recovery

A female Canadian border guard was shot at one of the busiest crossings in Canada on Tuesday and the gunman died after apparently turning his weapon on himself, RCMP say.

The Douglas border crossing, known better as the Peace Arch crossing, was closed in both directions Tuesday afternoon.

“The first report at the scene revealed that a male, a lone male, had shot an officer in her booth,” said Cpl. Bert Paquet.

“At the instant following the shooting of the officer, the lone male had been pronounced dead at the scene from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”

Paquet said the officer’s condition isn’t known, but she was breathing when she was loaded into an air ambulance. He said it appeared she’d been shot in the neck.

“We haven’t confirmed the identity of the suspect yet. He was entering Canada in a vehicle that beared a Washington plate.”

Vic Toews, minister of public safety, said in a statement he was deeply concerned at the news.

“This event is a sobering reminder of the dangerous conditions faced daily by the men and women of our law enforcement agencies as they work to protect the safety and security of Canadians.”

A spokeswoman with the Canada Border Services Agency said traffic was being diverted around the crossing ....

National Post, 16 Oct 12

 

[Bass ackwards]

Here's hoping for a speedy & full recovery

+ 1

 

[ModlrMike]

Here's wishing her a speedy and complete recovery. 

 

[eliminator]

Speedy recovery for the officer, oddly enough the federal government opened a new CBSA training facility to better train (and arm) border officials.

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/media/release-communique/2012/2012-10-15-eng.html

 

[J.J]

She is currently in surgery and her condition, at this time, is unknown.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

She is currently in surgery and her condition, at this time, is unknown.

WR,

Please pass her the membership's best wishes through your channels.

 

[J.J]

Newest info....induced coma for 2-3 days, mostly a flesh wound, will make a full recovery.  New officer finished recruit training in May, she was unarmed and waiting for her firearm course.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Thought they were going to make the firearm's course part of the Recruit training?

 

[J.J]

The range just opened up at the college a few weeks ago, current officers getting the training is the priority.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

News 1130 is reporting that they were told by the Union that that guy put the gun to his head and shot himself and the bullet also struck her. No offical confirmation of the story yet.

 

[old medic]

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/metro/Canadian+border+guard+shot+Peace+Arch+stable+condition+after/7399388/story.html

Canadian border guard shot at Peace Arch crossing identified; Border remains closed

A male suspect driving a van with Washington State licence plates has killed himself at the scene, reports say

By Chris Reynolds with Tiffany Crawford, The Vancouver Sun

METRO VANCOUVER - A Canada Border Services Agency officer who was shot in the neck by a man Tuesday at the Peace Arch border crossing is in stable condition in hospital, an agency spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday.

Stephanie Wudel said Wednesday that Lori Bowcock, who is in her 20s, is expected to make a full recovery.

Bowcock had moved to Vancouver less than a year ago after working as a civilian dispatcher with the Ontario Provincial Police in London, Ont.

She worked for the OPP up until the spring, said spokesman Sgt. Peter Leon, although he did not know when she began her employment.

He would not comment further on the investigation.

"As an organization we are very concerned for her and we wish her a speedy recovery," said Leon.

.................... 

Article continues at link above.

 

[J.J]

http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2012/10/17/gunman-deliberately-shot-border-guard-ihit-boss/

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has confirmed the man who shot CBSA agent Lori Bowcock fired on her directly before turning the gun on himself.

IHIT head Insp. Kevin Hackett identified the gunman as 32-year-old Andrew Michael Crews, of Bremerton. And he refuted an earlier report that Bowcock had been shot by accident with the bullet that passed through Crews’ head.

“This investigation remains in the early stages and investigators are attempting to determine a motive. The current evidence clearly indicates that prior to taking his own life, Mr. Crews deliberately fired at the victim,” Hackett said. “There is no evidence however to suggest the victim was specifically targeted.  RCMP, IHIT and international law enforcement continue to work together to advance this investigation. Our thoughts are with the CBSA Officer and her family during this difficult time.”

Earlier Wednesday, the Canada Border Services Agency issued a statement Wednesday about  the young officer wounded by a gunshot while on duty at the Peace Arch border Tuesday.

And there were conflicting reports about whether the gunman from Washington state intended to shoot Bowcock or whether she was wounded by accident when he shot himself in the head. So far police have not confirmed one way or another. Nor have they released the name of the gunman, who died at the scene Tuesday.

Statement by the CBSA Pacific Regional Director General regarding officer shot at Douglas port of entry

Vancouver, British Columbia, October 17, 2012 — Today, Roslyn MacVicar, Pacific Regional Director General of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), made the following statement updating on the condition of the officer injured in yesterday’s shooting at Douglas port of entry:

“Yesterday afternoon Border Services Officer Lori Bowcock was shot and injured in the line of duty at the Douglas, B.C. port of entry. The CBSA and law enforcement partners responded immediately and Lori was airlifted to hospital. She is in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery. Her mother and brothers are by her side.

I want to underscore that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) — through their Integrated Homicide Investigation Team — continue to investigate this matter and as such, I will not be providing details about the shooting.

I want to tell you a little about Officer Bowcock. Lori joined the CBSA family a few months ago. Once she completed her training at the CBSA College in Rigaud in July, she was deployed to the Pacific Region that same month, becoming a valued member of our CBSA team at the Douglas port of entry. As a recent graduate she has not yet completed the Arming Program training.

I know everyone within our organization is thinking about Lori and wishing her well. I know that these types of incidents can have a lasting impact on the people involved. As such, the management team has ensured that the Employee Assistance Program and Critical Incident Stress Management services are readily available to staff today and throughout the days to come. The CBSA is committed to providing support to Lori, her family and all of our officers and staff. The President of the CBSA, Luc Portelance, flew to Vancouver earlier today to meet with Lori, her family, and our staff here in the region.

This incident is a profound reminder of the risks that border services officers assume every day in their role to protect the safety and security of all Canadians. I want to underscore that the safety and security of our border services officers is of utmost importance to the CBSA. I also want to acknowledge the professional and poised manner in which our officers at Douglas, and elsewhere, responded to the terrible shooting of a CBSA officer.

We appreciate the support and cooperation we have received from Canadians, our law enforcement partners and travellers. We would like to thank the RCMP, the British Columbia Ambulance Service and the Surrey Fire Service for their rapid response, and our colleagues at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) who closed their port to southbound traffic to assist.”

Article continues at link above.

 

[Bass ackwards]

A brief update from QMI agency -reproduced here under the fair dealing provisions of the Copyright Act:


Shot border guard released from hospital
By QMI Agency

A Canadian border guard shot in the neck earlier this month has been released from hospital.

The Customs and Immigration Union said Lori Bowcock is expected to make a full recovery.

On Oct. 16, U.S resident Andrew Michael Crews, 32, deliberately shot the Canadian Border Service Agency officer, before killing himself at the Peace Arch crossing in Surrey, B.C., police said.

In a statement issued last week, Bowcock's family said their “thoughts and prayers” were with the shooter's loved ones.

“Lori acknowledges how difficult this time must be for the family and friends of Andrew Crews. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.”

No motive for the shooting has been determined.

Article link:
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2012/10/24/20304076.html

Good news and good on Ms. Bowcock and her family for showing some real class by sparing a thought for her assailant's loved ones.