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BMO bank robbery shooting | June 28, 2022


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#561 pontcanna

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Posted 13 July 2022 - 03:30 AM

A letter of thanks from a bank customer who was in the BMO branch on June 28

The magnitude of the event, followed by a lockdown two days later that started in front of my house, have left me rattled.

The Times Colonist - July 13, 2022

I was in the BMO branch on June 28. I am so very grateful and thankful to the officers who came to our rescue at a huge cost to many, either physically or mentally.

How do I tell you that you will forever be in my dreams, in my thoughts, and in my heart? I went to each barrier around the bank area the day after to say thank you.

It is not enough. I tear up as I type this. I need everyone to know how much it meant.
 
.......

How can I cower now when you have run to my aid, guided me to safety? For this, because of you and the job you choose to follow, I am here. I will go on. I hope you can too, knowing how much you mean to me.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Lesa (the woman wearing a green sweater and a mask)
 
 


#562 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 13 July 2022 - 05:49 AM

We would like to thank the Saanich Police Department and Chief Constable Dean Duthie, as well as the Victoria Police Department, members of the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team, the RCMP and Mayor Fred Haynes for everything they’ve done and are doing to support our community and our local team through this difficult time.

 

As a proud member of our community, BMO is committed to helping our customers, employees and the public recover and move forward. On their behalf, we have contributed $10,000 toward the relief fund established by the Saanich Police Association and Victoria City Police Union to help support the needs of our injured officers.

 

The safety and security of our customers and our employees is our top priority, and we’re working hard to reopen our Shelbourne and Pear branch for business as soon as we can, with a date to come soon.

 

 

https://www.timescol...-to-all-5577253



#563 pontcanna

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Posted 19 July 2022 - 05:19 PM

Saanich bank reopens after shootout that wounded six officers, killed two gunmen
 
Times Colonist, July 19, 2022
 
Screenshot 2022-07-19 18.11.45.png
 
Two private security guards were posted at the front entrance of the Shelbourne Street bank on Tuesday and said they will be there all week and longer during opening hours.

The Saanich bank where six police officers were wounded and two gunmen died in a hail of gunfire reopened on Tuesday — exactly three weeks after the brazen robbery and shootout.

The parking lot of the BMO branch on Shelbourne Street where one of the gunmen lay in a pool of blood was scrubbed clean, and new windows were installed with a large transparent sign on the entrance that reads: “Thank you for your courage, support and bravery. We stand together. BMO.”

The motivation of the suspects remains unknown.

An online fundraising account set up by the Saanich Police Association and the Victoria City Police Union to help the injured officers has collected $266,577 so far.

The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit is conducting the investigation and has provided no new details.
 
 


#564 pontcanna

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Posted 11 August 2022 - 06:59 AM

Saanich neighbourhood block party helps residents heal after bank shootout

ER nurse who cared for 2 wounded officers, is married to ERT member, organized event

Aug. 11, 2022  
 
 
30037531_web1_220809-SNE-Shooting-Block-

Residents enjoy a block party gathering Aug. 4 on Elm Street in Saanich, organized as a way to help people come together and continue healing following the June 28 shootout at the nearby BMO Bank of Montreal branch on Shelbourne Street.

 

A Saanich neighbourhood came together for a block party aimed at helping residents heal, just over a month after a nearby bank was the site of a shootout which left two suspects dead and six police officers injured.

The block party was organized by neighbourhood resident Rebecca Kirkwood, who has multiple connections to the incident. An ER nurse at Royal Jubilee Hospital who helped treat two of the injured officers, she is married to one of the tactical team members who responded to the scene but was not injured.

“The party was wonderful. It was so much fun to have people we have never met before come out and exchange stories about what they were doing during the incident and all that … later in the night we set up the camp fire and people brought out their guitars and sang around the fire.”

Once she decided to organize the event, she reached out to several local businesses who were happy to donate some gift cards to help cover the costs of food and drink, making it feel even more like a community coming together to support each other.

While time can be a healer, Kirkwood said it can still be difficult to reflect on that chaotic day, especially for her husband Ron, who at times found neighbours’ questions about the incident overwhelming, though he appreciated their words of support and thanks.

Kirkwood said she plans on making the block party an annual event, though future editions won’t be tied to the bank shooting and will instead be a simple summer celebration of community.

 

Morehttps://www.vicnews....-bank-shootout/

 

 


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#565 Mike K.

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Posted 21 December 2022 - 10:57 AM

Saanich Police Department Chief Dean Duthie and VicPD Chief Del Manak’s Statement On IIO Report

Saanich Police Department Chief Dean Duthie and VicPD Chief Del Manak are speaking together as they respond to the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) report on the officer-involved shooting that occurred at the Bank of Montreal on Shelbourne Street in Saanich on June 28, 2022. The two suspects were killed by police. Six Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team (GVERT) officers were shot during the exchange of gunfire. No one else was physically injured. The IIO report has concluded that no officer committed an offence under any enactment during the incident.



“The events of June 28, 2022 shook our community. Every one of us felt then, and feels now, the impact of that shooting,” Saanich Police Department Chief Dean Duthie said. “I am truly grateful for the professional, dedicated, and heroic efforts that many Saanich Police officers and Victoria Police officers demonstrated that day under high stress and life-threatening conditions. They put their own lives on the line to save lives, protect innocent people, and restore peace and safety in our community. Oversight by the IIO is a vital part of police accountability and transparency, which is very important to earn and maintain the public’s trust and confidence. Their independent and unbiased review of officers’ decisions and actions that day commends their professionalism, courage, and response. We are pleased that this extensive and thorough investigation report provides information and clarity that affords the public an opportunity to gain a stronger understanding of the dire circumstances that required immediate life-saving actions by responding officers.”



“This report contains detail that paints a clear picture of what our officers faced that day,” VicPD Chief Del Manak said. “I join Chief Duthie in commending the professionalism and courage of the officers and staff who responded that day and in the days following. This report may be difficult for some people to read, including members of the community who witnessed the event. We continue to provide support for our staff and encourage everyone affected by this incident to access any resources they have available as we continue to heal together as a community.”



About the incident

In the June 28th incident, Saanich patrol officers and members of the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team (GVERT) responded after two armed men, carrying assault rifles and wearing extensive body armour entered the Bank of Montreal at 3616 Shelbourne Street, fired a shot into the ceiling and robbed the bank. The two men remained in the bank for some time, and when they decided to leave, they were met by the frontline officers and GVERT in the bank parking lot. The two men were killed by officers in the exchange of gunfire. Six GVERT members were shot. Three suffered life-threatening injuries, two suffered non-life-threatening but potentially life-altering injuries and one suffered a non-life-threatening injury. No one else was physically harmed during the incident. Three of the injured officers have returned to work.



The IIO’s mandate requires an extensive investigation anytime someone is seriously injured or killed in an interaction with police in BC. While the IIO investigation is concluded, additional investigations into the incident by the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) and the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit (VIIMCU) are ongoing.

IIO Report: https://iiobc.ca/med...anich-2022-150/

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#566 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 21 December 2022 - 12:45 PM

Police justified in shooting of BMO robbery suspects: IIO

https://www.saanichn...eleased-by-iio/


I can agree with the above finding, while still disagreeing with this tactic:


More than 16 minutes after entering the bank, the brothers exited while still carrying their rifles. At the same moment, an unmarked police van carrying seven GVERT members turned into the parking lot.


^ that tactic got 6 cops shot, while the suspects had hurt nobody, fired only one shot (into the ceiling) and were alone in the parking lot when confronted.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 21 December 2022 - 12:48 PM.

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#567 sebberry

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Posted 21 December 2022 - 12:48 PM

Police justified in shooting of BMO robbery suspects: IIO

 

Shocking.  More proof that we need to defund/demilitarize the police and take away their tank! /s

 

Those officers showed amazing selflessness running into gunfire like that. 


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#568 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 21 December 2022 - 12:50 PM

Shocking. More proof that we need to defund/demilitarize the police and take away their tank! /s

Those officers showed amazing selflessness running into gunfire like that.

The finding actually implicitly states it didn’t know who fired first. There might have been zero gunfire directed at police to start. So no “running into gunfire”.

Police fired 100+ rounds. I still have no information on how many shots the suspects fired.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 21 December 2022 - 12:51 PM.


#569 spanky123

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Posted 21 December 2022 - 01:51 PM

The finding actually implicitly states it didn’t know who fired first. There might have been zero gunfire directed at police to start. So no “running into gunfire”.

Police fired 100+ rounds. I still have no information on how many shots the suspects fired.

 

The robbers initiated the incident and are now dead, the IIO has ruled and closed the case. No benefit in digging any deeper.



#570 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 21 December 2022 - 01:55 PM

The robbers initiated the incident and are now dead, the IIO has ruled and closed the case. No benefit in digging any deeper.

6 cops were shot! At least one has life-altering injuries.

We should not try to learn what was done right or wrong here, to prevent the next incident like this?

6 professionals were shot by two very young adults with little training or experience and relatively low power firearms. We should not try to find out why the carnage was so lopsided?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 21 December 2022 - 01:56 PM.


#571 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 21 December 2022 - 02:02 PM

6 cops were shot! At least one has life-altering injuries.

We should not try to learn what was done right or wrong here, to prevent the next incident like this?

6 professionals were shot by two very young adults with little training or experience and relatively low power firearms. We should not try to find out why the carnage was so lopsided?

As far as I can see, the GVERT used a reckless tactic that got their 6 members shot. Nobody was doing ANY shooting WHATSOEVER until they arrived in a firestorm in the van. All of them packed into the van made then targets like fish in a barrel. Bad approach.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 21 December 2022 - 02:10 PM.

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#572 pontcanna

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Posted 21 December 2022 - 05:46 PM

I'm more interested in an inquest that digs into these kid's backgrounds/motivations. We know next to nothing about them at present.



#573 Nparker

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Posted 21 December 2022 - 06:18 PM

Can we just leave it up to Netflix to do a documentary? I don't think these criminals deserve any more tax money expended on them.



#574 pontcanna

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Posted 21 December 2022 - 09:27 PM

Saanich bank shootout: What we still don’t know after IIO report released

Dec. 21, 2022 

 
Screenshot 2022-12-21 19.48.05.png
 

A police watchdog report shed more light Wednesday on how a deadly police shootout unfolded at a Saanich bank in June, but there are still more questions than answers about how the suspects planned the heist — and why they did it at all.

During a news conference with the Saanich and Victoria police chiefs Wednesday, questions unanswered in the report were once again raised such as what motivated the brothers to rob a bank in broad daylight, then immediately open fire on responding officers.

“That’s a question that many of us have, and I can appreciate that. The ‘why’ question, we’re hoping can be answered, but we don’t know if that’s going to be a reality,” he said. “The VIIMCU investigation into this matter may shed some light onto that when that is concluded and able to be shared with the media and public.”

Where did the rifle and body armour come from?

“Those are military-style assault rifles,” said SFU criminology professor Rob Gordon. “I don’t know how old they are, but the original models of the SKS rifles came from the Soviet Union. Whether or not they were purchased through the United States or what, I don’t know how old the weapons were, where they got the ammunition from, etc. Those are all important questions.”

The pair also obtained and were wearing body armour, the report confirmed, renewing questions about where 22-year-old twin brothers from Duncan could obtain and afford such equipment.

“Clearly, the police would have brought them down earlier had they not had good quality body armor, so where did that come from?” asked Gordon.

Gordon also said it remains unclear what sort of planning went into the bank shootout.

“I got the sense that these guys, who had apparently clean records, had internal knowledge of the bank, so you know, why they chose that bank, whether they scouted it beforehand, those sorts of questions of course are hard to determine by virtue of the fact that the two offenders are dead,” said Gordon.

“You don’t usually grab some equipment and go rob a bank. Even the most amateurish individual is going to go try and find out what the likely targets are, how much the yield might be. These sorts of things which require some intelligence in terms of banking operations.”

Police have never definitively ruled out the possibility a third person may have been involved, previously saying they received “vague information” that led them to search for another suspect. Subsequent investigation did not indicate there was an unidentified accomplice, according to an update from police in the days after the shooting.

However, one witness held hostage inside the bank told CHEK News earlier this year that she adamantly believes there were three suspects involved.

Perhaps the biggest outstanding question, one repeatedly asked by those following the case, is why the suspects were seemingly well-prepared for a showdown — and whether that was their ultimate goal.

Other posts on Isaac’s Instagram page showed multiple images and videos of the brothers firing weapons and anti-government language. It was also previously revealed that Mathew had applied to be part of the Canadian Armed Forces but did not pass an aptitude test.

However, investigators have not released any information that would provide clues as to the motives of the brothers, who have been described by former classmates as “shy and quiet.”

“Is this an example of what’s often referred to as suicide by cop? I don’t think so. There’s a piece of the puzzle that’s missing, and it’s a very important piece,” he said.

Gordon says one reason police may not be releasing more information on the Saanich bank shootout publicly is to draw out anyone else who may have information on the case.

“I have just have a feeling that there’s more information that the police are not releasing, for whatever reason. It may be that there are other parties involved in the incident and they want to try and nail those individuals as well,” he said.

Duthie did not provide a timeline for when the VIIMCU report would be released.

 

More: https://www.cheknews...leased-1124582/

 

 

 



#575 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 22 December 2022 - 04:41 AM

Duthie said he does not believe the incident could have been resolved without gunfire, given the robbers’ use of semi-automatic weapons and the way they were dressed in body armour.

“I couldn’t imagine a response being done more quickly or more efficiently,” he said.




https://www.timescol...closure-6284434



6 cops shot. If that is his measure for efficiency, not sure what to say. It’s not as if the suspects were free-wheeling or moving about and taking cover, making them harder to neutralize. All reports suggest both men didn’t move more than about 20 feet. And were wide open in the parking lot. Yet 6 cops were shot.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 22 December 2022 - 04:43 AM.


#576 spanky123

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Posted 22 December 2022 - 09:32 AM

6 cops shot. If that is his measure for efficiency, not sure what to say. It’s not as if the suspects were free-wheeling or moving about and taking cover, making them harder to neutralize. All reports suggest both men didn’t move more than about 20 feet. And were wide open in the parking lot. Yet 6 cops were shot.

 

Don't think you are ever going to get the public discussion on police tactics that you want. Frankly I was surprised they even admitted that one officer was shot by friendly fire. 

 

Changes will be quietly made and hopefully this won't happen again.



#577 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 22 December 2022 - 09:53 AM

It also appears at least one suspect was not even killed by the GVERT team. He was taken out by a Saanich regular cop.

#578 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 19 January 2023 - 03:54 PM

More findings are expected to be released Friday in connection with a June 28 robbery at the Bank of Montreal branch on Shelbourne Street that left two armed men dead and six police officers injured.

https://www.timescol...igation-6408196


The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit is holding an 11:30 a.m. news conference at Saanich Police Department, where statements will be given by Saanich Police Chief Dean Duthie, Supt. Sanjaya Wijayakoom of the B.C. RCMP Major Crime Section and B.C. RCMP Cpl. Alex Berube on behalf of the major crime unit.



Last month, the B.C. Independent Investigations Office cleared police of any wrongdoing in the deaths of the robbers, 22-year-old brothers Matthew and Isaac Auchterlonie of Shawnigan Lake. The IIO, a civilian-oversight agency that examines police-related incidents involving death or serious injury, concluded that officers were justified in using lethal force.

The Major Crime Unit has been carrying out a second investigation to look into the actions of the robbers, their motives, the weapons they used and whether they committed any other robberies.

Three Saanich police officers were wounded at the crime scene. One is back at work and the other two are going through what Duthie has said is expected to be a long recovery.

Three Victoria officers were also wounded.. One has returned to the job and two are recovering.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 19 January 2023 - 03:55 PM.


#579 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 20 January 2023 - 11:50 AM

Police call it an "armed robbery", but during the press conference it was not suggested they asked for, or took, any money.  But they were in the bank for 16 minutes.  More than once, they said police "saved many lives", but it appears that the suspects never threatened any civilians inside or outside the bank.


Edited by Victoria Watcher, 20 January 2023 - 11:51 AM.


#580 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 20 January 2023 - 11:58 AM

Oh, hold on.

 

 

 

 

The robbers were able to obtain only a very limited amount of cash and appeared to be ­disappointed. They spent several minutes pacing and looking out windows into the parking lot. They did not attempt to escape, the report said.

 

 

https://www.timescol...ice-say-6408196

 

 

 

 

 

Sixteen minutes after they entered the bank, the robbers went to the front door, still carrying their rifles with the muzzles pointed down.

 

They walked out into the parking lot, turning to the right in the direction of their parked car. At the same moment, the GVERT van carrying seven officers turned into the parking lot.

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe they would have just left if cops didn't come screaming in?


Edited by Victoria Watcher, 20 January 2023 - 12:00 PM.


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