The first RCMP officers who arrived in Portapique say they wouldn’t change anything about their actions that night nearly two years ago.
Constables Stuart Beselt, Adam Merchant and Aaron Patton testified at the public inquiry looking into the mass shootings on Monday. They sat side by side at the Halifax Convention Centre, as they looked back on the mayhem they encountered on April 18, 2020.
The officers recalled racing to the rural community in northern Nova Scotia at speeds over 160 km/h, all while trying to process the information they were getting from dispatch. They were each travelling in their own vehicle and being told about a shooting in Portapique and sketchy details about some vehicle that looked like a police car.
RCMP officers are sworn in before testifying at the public inquiry into Nova Scotia’s mass shooting
A 13-hour horrific rampage was already underway, orchestrated by a 51-year-old Dartmouth-area denturist that had home in Portapique. Gabriel Wortman killed 22 people over two days as he was disguised as RCMP officer driving around in mock police car.
Constable Aaron Patton says the scene was like a war zone as homes were set on fire and shooting victims were found.
Patton spoke about the confusion around the gunman and the car.
“Maybe it’s a co-worker that made it in there before us, strongly believe we would have been injured had we crossed paths [with Gabriel Wortman],” Patton said. “It would have taken a lot to make that decision it’s not a co-worker.”
They never did cross paths with the gunman. Wortman was gone, he had killed 13 people in Portapique and escaped through an unkept road out of the area. He would sleep in Debert, and kill nine more more people on April 19.
Constable Beselt was able to get a look at the photo of the replica cruiser the next day, and was shocked at what he saw.
“I never would have dreamed it was that detailed.” Beselt said. “We had no idea the level of that car what it was done up to be.”
At first, Beselt assumed it was likely an old decommissioned police car with old markings or decals.
Replica police car Gabriel Wortman was driving.
“The thing you have to realize is that for him it’s a target-rich environment because he knows he’s the only fake,” Beselt continued. “The next day, they did [have the information about the replica police car] and he still got the jump on two members.
Wortman was shot and killed by police at the gas station in Enfield. However, before this happened Constable Heidi Stevenson was shot and killed by the gunman the morning of April 19. Her partner, Constable Chad Morrison was shot but survived.
RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson was one of several people killed in a shooting spree in Nova Scotia. (Photo: Nova Scotia RCMP/Submitted)
The inquiry is examining if more could have been done to save lives and prevent a similar tragedy from happening again.
“I mean, you go through this a thousand times and given what I know, I couldn’t have changed anything that would have made any difference,” said Constable Adam Merchant. “We tried our best.”
The inquiry will resume on Wednesday.
