The RCMP is defending its actions regarding the overnight entrance to a house on the west coast last weekend. The Pike family is upset that two police officers entered through an unlocked door while searching for a missing teenager while the family was sleeping. Police ended up questioning their 11-year-old daughter in her dark bedroom with flashlights on her face. During a briefing Friday, RCMP Dean Jolene Garland said police spent nearly an hour knocking on doors and windows and making noise in hopes of getting an answer, but never did. Garland says it only heightened concerns for officers, adding that it was a balance in favor of entry. He says that while the RCMP may have considered it a “worrying” situation for the family, and apologized twice for it, he says that “their heads and hearts were in the right place” and that they had the power to ensure safety. of missing girl. It was the second time in a day that 17-year-old Hailey Shepard had been reported missing and later found. The RNC searched for, and found, hours earlier.
