The investigation into the mass murder in Nova Scotia has revealed new details about the Mounties’ struggle to find an aircraft to locate the killer on the night of April 18, 2020. Documents released Thursday show that RCMP commanders were overwhelmed by bureaucratic hurdles and confusing advice before finally finding a helicopter. But the mission the next day was marred by technical glitches that left its crew one step behind the killer’s progress. Early in their 13-hour manhunt for the sniper, the Mounties requested the use of an RCMP helicopter. But it was grounded for maintenance, according to the survey. Meanwhile, the RCMP fixed-wing aircraft for the Atlantic region was also unavailable. Staff shortages due to COVID-19 restrictions had extended its annual maintenance in Moncton, NB This bad news was confirmed to RCMP commanders at 11:16 p.m., just over an hour after a man disguised as a Mountie and driving a replica of an RCMP cruiser began killing neighbors and strangers in Portapique, NS, about 130 miles north of Halifax. In all, the killer shot dead 13 people and set fire to several houses in the subdivision. He later escaped on a little-used back road. Early the next day, he continued his rage, killing nine other people before being shot by two Mountains at a gas station. The investigation found that the Mounties wanted an infrared sensor aircraft that could get the heat signature of a human body because the suspect could be hiding in one of the subdivision’s dark, wooded plots. Their first call was to the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) in Halifax, which operates the Army and Coast Guard search and rescue operations. But they encountered an obstacle when they told the Mounties that the JRCC aircraft could not be deployed to look for an active sniper. In a subsequent call, however, the Mounties learned that the army could provide an aircraft, but the request had to go through the official channels. “This request must be passed from the RCMP through the province to the federal government,” an unnamed official was quoted as saying that night. “I know it sounds complicated, but only then can we do it.” The process started but was not completed. The Mounties, meanwhile, have also considered chartering a civilian aircraft or borrowing one from the federal Department of Fisheries or Transport Canada. And there was talk of acquiring an RCMP aircraft from Montreal or Ontario. Again, these options did not work out. At 3:15 a.m., the RCMP asked the Nova Scotia Department of Land and Forests if one of the department’s four helicopters was available, although none of them were equipped with infrared (FLIR) radar. Although a helicopter was available, it was limited to daytime flights and could not take off before 6 a.m. With no other options, the Mounties made the adjustments. With pilot Ken Corkum in control, the Airbus H125 helicopter flew over Portapique at 8:47 a.m., according to a summary of what is known as a groundbreaking document. An RCMP observer was also on board. Although the weather was clear, the mission did not go smoothly. There was confusion about the use of radio channels. The Mounties wanted Corkum to use encrypted channels to ensure that the killer could not monitor their messages. But Corkum did not initially know that his radio had this ability. And when he realized that these channels were available, they did not seem to work for him. At 9:48 a.m., the RCMP received a 911 call from a couple in Glenholme, NS, where the killer had just approached their home with a rifle in his hand. After knocking on the door and ringing the bell, he left just two minutes later at 9:50 a.m. Less than two minutes later, Corkum was notified of the sighting, but the RCMP officer who alerted him, Staff Sgt. Kevin Surette had a problem transmitting the coordinates when the pilot did not respond. At 9:55 a.m., the helicopter was still 2.8 miles south of the house and the killer was gone. Adding to the confusion was Surette’s warning that the armed suspect was still at home on the second floor. “This information was incorrect,” the document said. “It was the occupant of the property, Adam Fisher, who was armed and present at the residence.” When more shots were reported in nearby Debert, NS, the helicopter arrived minutes later. But there were a number of problems with the radio, there were no shows and then it was time for a refueling stop. It was during this stand that the RCMP Const. Chad Morrison was wounded by a gunman in Shubenacadie, NS When the helicopter arrived from above at 11:13 a.m., the gunman shot Const. Heidi Stevenson and fled in a stolen car. Corkum said he had to fly south to Milford, NS, but had to land in a farmer’s field because the RCMP policeman on board was ill. The helicopter later landed over a gas station in Enfield, NS, a minute after the killer was shot at 11:26 a.m. This Canadian Press report was first published on June 9, 2022.
