Thu. Nov 7th, 2024

Carson Pardy, Chief Superintendent, who was one of the most senior law enforcement officers involved in the effort during the Freedom Convoy, told Commission lawyers that the Emergencies Act invocation wasn’t required to tow vehicles and that existing police strategies in place prior to invoking the act would have been sufficient to clear the protests within the same time period.

Pardy when asked “In your view, was there a police solution to the demonstration?”, “There was a solution and we reached that solution,” Pardy said. “We had some help with the Emergencies Act but in my humble opinion we would have reached the same conclusion with the plan that we had without (the Act).” Pardy responded.

SUPT. CRAIG ABRAMS, Resumed
Cross-Examination by Mr. David Migicovsky
Cross-Examination by Ms. Bath Sheba van den Berg
Cross-Examination by Mr. Brendan van Niejenhuis
Cross-Examination by Mr. Tom Curry
Cross-Examination by Ms. Anne Tardif
Cross-Examination by Mr. Paul Champ
Cross-Examination by Mr. Michael Morris
Cross-Examination by Mr. Alan Honner
Re-Examination by Mr. Eric Brousseau

Take down plan: Craig Abrams OPP testifies that he didn’t see an improvement in the communication or deployment of officers after the Invocation of the Emergencies Act “I consider it one giant operation and the lack of communication had impacts all along, from invocation period, prior to and during.

OPP Superintendent Craig Abrams testifies that the convoy was “not effecting livelihoods” in Ottawa, saying that it was quiet manageable to drive around the rest of Ottawa.

CHIEF SUPT. CARSON PARDY, Sworn
Examination in-Chief by Mr. Frank Au
Cross-Examination by Mr. Tom Curry
Cross-Examination by Ms. Jessica Barrow
Cross-Examination by Ms. Donnaree Nygard
Cross-Examination by Mr. Jason Honner
Cross-Examination by Ms. Anne Tardif
Cross-Examination by Ms. Bath Sheba Van den Berg
Cross-Examination by Mr. Michael Morris
Cross-Examination by Ms. Mandy England
Cross-Examination by Mr. Paul Champ
Cross-Examination by Mr. Christopher Diana

Carson Pardy, OPP Chief Superintendent testified that “there was a police solution” to ending the Freedom Convoy and “we would have reached the same solution” & it could have been done in the same timeline without the Emergencies Act.

Beds and meals for extra officers? “None of that was in place.” Not even basic human requirements were met to facilitate extra officers in Ottawa, says Former OPP Ch Supt Carson Pardy, leader of the integrated planning group.

“There were people in the ministry that wanted [Ottawa Police Chief Sloly] to fail,” says former OPP Ch Supt Carson Pardy, leader of the integrated planning group.

“[Chief Sloly] had confidence issues.” Former OPP Ch Supt Carson Pardy, leader of the integrated planning group, remarks on antagonistic and disrespectful behaviour by the former Ottawa chief of police.

“They were burning out daily.” Officers were walking out of meetings and hitting their breaking points under OPS leadership, says former OPP Chief Supt. and leader of the integrated planning group Carson Pardy.

Instead of negotiating and easing tensions during the Freedom Convoy, police liaison team officers were “in a tent drinking coffee,” says former OPP Chief Supt. and leader of the integrated planning group Carson Pardy.

“Daily siege from federal government” was “making [responding to the convoy] more difficult,” former OPP Chief Supt. and leader of the integrated planning group Carson Pardy recounts.

Carson Pardy testified the OPP already had the authority to tow vehicles without the Emergencies Act. “If we didn’t have the Emergencies Act it would imply that we couldn’t tow vehicles, we tow vehicles everyday.” “We did not need the Emergencies Act.”

The protestors were being portrayed as extremists, and he [OPP Supt. Pat Morris] found that to be problematic. Did you find that to be problematic as well?

I do. – Retired OPP Chief Supt. Pardy

Pardy testifies the EA was not necessary to bring an end to the protest within the allocated time frame:

“In my humble opinion, we would have reached the same solution with the plan that we had without either of those pieces of legislation [includes the Emergencies Act].”

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