Police assessment didn't warn protesters would use Ottawa locals as 'leverage': Bell | TheSpec.com

“,”heading”:””,”fullWindow”:false,”fullBleed”:false,”showFullBleedOnMobile”:false,”headColor”:””,”type”:”html5mobile”,”textColor”:””,”mobileImageUrl”:””,”bgColor”:””,”imageUrl”:””,”registeredOnly”:false,”linkUrl”:””,”aodaTitle”:” “,”internalScroll”:false,”displayStyle”:”small-up”},{“text”:”He later added that he felt the “Freedom Convoy” created “unprecedented circumstances” for the police after it arrived in Ottawa.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“type”:”ad”,”heading”:”ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW”,”name”:”ArticleSecondBigBox”,”display”:”medium-down”,”pos”:”2″,”interstitial”:true,”sizes”:[[300,250]]},{“text”:”Commission lawyer Frank Au spent the morning questioning Bell about police intelligence ahead of the protest, including a threat assessment police prepared for the convoy’s expected arrival in Ottawa on Jan. 29.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“type”:”textBreakPoint”,”insertAt”:”contentMiddleBreakPoint”},{“type”:”articleRelatedInlinePrimary”},{“text”:”The commission was also shown an email later Monday from the head of the RCMP telling the federal government, “we have not yet exhausted all available tools,” hours before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”In the email sent Feb.14 to Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino’s chief of staff, Mike Jones, shortly before 1 a.m., Brenda Lucki said criminal charges could be laid under existing Criminal Code offences happening at the “Freedom Convoy” protests. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”The commission heard last week that a local hotel association warned the City of Ottawa and police before protesters arrived that they were booking rooms for 30 days. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”isHeading”:false},{“text”:”The Jan. 29 threat assessment, prepared by Ottawa police’s security intelligence section, noted an increase in social media posts suggesting violence should be used if the government does not acknowledge the convoy. But it also says no threats or credible plans had been…
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