Breaking News: SIRT Report Released

03/03/21 • 13 min

13 Hours Inside the Nova Scotia Massacre

Nova Scotia’s independent police watchdog, the Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT), has concluded two RCMP officers who shot at the fire hall in Lower Onslow, N.S., during the manhunt for Gabriel Wortman should not face criminal charges.

The SIRT report said the two officers who fired their weapons did so believing the person they were shooting at was the gunman. This is because he was dressed similarly to the gunman — wearing a yellow and orange reflective vest — and standing near a marked RCMP cruiser at the time of the shooting.

In this bonus episode, producers Sarah Ritchie and Alex Kress bring you the breaking news and explain what new information is in the SIRT report.

We also hear reaction once again from the firefighters who say the police “terrorized” them on April 19, and have never apologized.

We have much more on our website, including articles, maps, and photos: globalnews.ca/13hours

Instagram: @13hourspodcast

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @SarahRitchieTV; @alexandrakress

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this bonus episode, producers Sarah Ritchie and Alex Kress bring you the breaking news and explain what new information is in the SIRT report.

We also hear reaction once again from the firefighters who say the police “terrorized” them on April 19, and have never apologized.

We have much more on our website, including articles, maps, and photos: globalnews.ca/13hours

Instagram: @13hourspodcast

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @SarahRitchieTV; @alexandrakress

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Previous Episode

Friendly Fire | 10

On the morning of April 19, 2020, Greg Muise and Darrell Currie were preparing the Onslow Belmont Fire Brigade to help evacuees from Portapique, N.S. Suddenly, shots rang out and bullets sprayed the building, forcing them and others to run for cover.

They thought they were going to die at the hands of the gunman.

But it was the police who were shooting.

In this episode we break down what happened, second by second, as we describe what surveillance video captured. We also hear harrowing testimony from the firefighters about what they lived through that day, and from witnesses who saw it unfold.

More than 10 months later, the firefighters say they've never gotten an explanation or an apology from police.

We have much more on our website, including articles, maps, and photos: globalnews.ca/13hours

Instagram: @13hourspodcast

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @SarahRitchieTV; @alexandrakress

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next Episode

Collision Course | 11

This episode picks up the gunman’s movements through central Nova Scotia on the morning of April 19, 2020, as he drove toward Halifax.

A chance encounter put him in the paths of two RCMP officers. Constables Chad Morrison and Heidi Stevenson were planning to meet on the side of the road near Shubenacadie, unaware the gunman was nearby.

The gunman shot Chad, and then collided with Heidi’s car. He shot and killed her before murdering Joey Webber, who stopped to help. Then he stole Joey’s vehicle and drove away.

In this episode, we learn about other shootings in recent years in which RCMP members have been killed. Experts say the force is slow to change, and question whether it’s time for provinces and municipalities to create their own police forces instead of contracting the RCMP.

We have much more on our website, including articles, maps, and photos: globalnews.ca/13hours

Instagram: @13hourspodcast

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @SarahRitchieTV; @alexandrakress

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices