– Guns found in travel trailer near Coutts blockade
– Murder-conspiracy trial hears of guns in travel trailer near Coutts blockade.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — An RCMP officer testified at a murder-conspiracy trial that multiple weapons were found inside a travel trailer near the 2022 border blockade at Coutts, Alta. Sgt. Gary MacLaren revealed that on Feb. 14, 2022, he entered the trailer after it had been cleared by a police emergency response team.
MacLaren described finding an assault-style rifle on the master bed, a shotgun in the kitchen area, portable radios, bear spray, another assault rifle on an upper bunk, a tactical vest, and a box of ammunition. Additionally, a rifle was discovered underneath the mattress in the bedroom, along with ammunition.
Among the weapons seized were a machete, two sets of body armour, a driver’s licence, and a firearms acquisition certificate belonging to one of the accused, Chris Carbert. Carbert and Anthony Olienick were charged with conspiracy to commit murder after police raided the trailer and two others parked on private property in Coutts.
The trial heard that the property owner had allowed the accused and other protesters to stay at the location. Const. Bruce Gammie, a member of the team that cleared the trailer, testified that officers used a “loud hailing” vehicle to demand anyone inside come out. Only Carbert emerged from the trailer and was taken into custody.
Undercover officers previously testified that Olienick considered the blockade a war and expressed a hatred of police, stating a desire to kill officers. They also mentioned Olienick’s claim of having a stockpile of weapons, including dozens of firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
The jury was shown a video and numerous photos taken inside the trailer, revealing a handgun next to the rifle on the bunk and a backpack with .223-calibre ammunition in a closet. Carbert’s lawyer, Katherin Beyak, raised concerns about the term “assault-style” used to describe the rifles, but Justice David Labrenz cautioned the jury against reading too much into the terminology.
The blockade, which was in protest of COVID-19 rules and vaccine mandates, caused significant disruptions at the busy Canada-U.S. border crossing for two weeks. The trial continues with further testimonies and evidence being presented.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 20, 2024.
— By Bill Graveland in Calgary
The Canadian Press
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– Murder conspiracy trial hears guns found in travel trailer near Coutts blockade
– Guns found in travel trailer near Coutts blockade during murder conspiracy trial.
