[ad_1]
Extra details about a grisly incident involving the decapitation of a deceased cougar is coming to gentle, after CHEK Information filed a Freedom of Info (FOI) request for particulars on the matter.
On Nov. 21, Victoria law enforcement officials shot and killed a cougar that was first seen in a residential neighbourhood within the Gorge space round 5 a.m.
Practically 12 hours later, round 4:30 p.m., a video despatched to CHEK Information reveals officers taking pictures the cougar within the 300-block of Waterfront Crescent.
Police stated they shot the cougar as a result of they were concerned it would be near families round faculty time, and due to the time it will take for conservation officers to reach.
Internally, one Metropolis of Victoria employee stated the cougar was shot 5 occasions, in response to the FOI info. CHEK Information has reached out to VicPD for additional particulars.
Within the days that adopted the cat’s killing, CHEK Information obtained a number of suggestions that the physique of the cougar was dropped at a Metropolis of Victoria facility, the place it was later decapitated.
The municipality and the BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) remained tight-lipped concerning the allegations, at first solely saying the matter was underneath investigation.
The BCCOS was the primary to interrupt the silence, telling CHEK News on Dec. 8 that the pinnacle had certainly been eliminated, however had since been returned and that an individual had been written a warning for illegal possession of wildlife underneath the province’s wildlife act.
“The cougar head was promptly returned to the COS,” the assertion stated. “The person was co-operative all through the investigation and expressed regret for his or her actions.”
It will be one other month earlier than the town confirmed {that a} municipal employee had been fired for the incident.
Timeline and considerations
Recordsdata given to CHEK Information by the FOI request present that the municipality needed to stay quiet concerning the challenge for so long as attainable.
“My suggestion is that we acknowledge there’s a matter underneath investigation however present no additional remark at the moment,” wrote William Doyle, assistant director of Victoria public works, in an e-mail dated to Dec. 1.
In one other textual content trade on the identical day, metropolis supervisor Jocelyn Jenkins expressed concern that the cougar incident has been made public.
“Morning. We now have a media name on the cougar. They’ve all the small print…” she wrote.
An unnamed staffer responded by saying:
“Okay. At minimal I presume we are able to acknowledge there’s a matter underneath investigation however with the Conservation Service additionally investigating, I suppose we must always say no additional remark at the moment.”
Photographs uncovered by the FOI request present the decapitated cougar subsequent to a raccoon carcass.
“7:30 a.m. entire cat,” reads an undated textual content trade, which included the photographs.
“11:30 a.m. no head. Useless raccoon on the head,” the following textual content reads.
Story continues beneath
A photograph of the cougar earlier than it was decapitated is proven on this picture from the FOI request.
In a press release Wednesday, the Metropolis of Victoria stated the racoon carcass was positioned in the identical bin because the useless cougar in preparation to be transferred to a landfill, as is metropolis apply.
A photograph of the decapitated cougar, with a useless raccoon positioned close to its head, is proven on this picture from the FOI request.
A special textual content trade dated to Dec. 4 reveals that staff have been nervous when information of the decapitation began to unfold.
“Omg the cougar incident was simply on the information,” reads a textual content trade involving a metropolis employee on Dec. 4, which refers to an article posted on Victoria Buzz on Dec. 1.
Story continues beneath
An earlier textual content trade dated to Nov. 22 by two unnamed staffers says conservation officers weren’t happy with the beheading.
“Conservation girl didn’t appear very impressed. It was like she didn’t know the pinnacle was lacking,” says one employee.
“They weren’t impressed,” responds the opposite.
“Properly, to be sincere, I hope they catch who did it,” says the primary employee.
Potential prison prices
Emails between metropolis employees point out that there was solely a three-hour window when the pinnacle might have been faraway from the cougar and stolen.
On an e-mail thread relationship to Nov. 22, employees say they picked up the cougar carcass from VicPD at 4:20 p.m. on Nov. 21.
By 5:30 a.m. on Nov. 22, employees reported that the carcass was intact and delivered to the general public works yard.
By 8 a.m., “employees have been going to ship to Hartland for burial, observed head was lacking,” the e-mail reads.
With the pinnacle lacking, conservation officers instructed metropolis staff {that a} prison investigation might must happen.
“He [a conservation officer supervisor] defined that it was a prison offense to take away the physique half, and they might be investigating with the intent of prison prosecution,” wrote metropolis employee Jason Harvey.
“He indicated that every one Public Works employees with entry to the Yard can be a part of the investigation. He additionally stated that it will be very useful, and should forestall an investigation, if the pinnacle have been to return in a single day.”
Internally, the town thought the “quickest technique to return it will be greatest” and by 6 a.m. the following day, the pinnacle had been returned.
Metropolis employees wrote that conservation officers have been not anticipated to pursue prices. Nevertheless, the BCCOS did nonetheless need to converse with the one who eliminated the pinnacle, employees famous.
“They [the conservation service] expressed some understanding that within the second an individual, particularly a hunter, might see this as an attention-grabbing alternative with out understanding that it’s inappropriate,” an e-mail from Nov. 23 reads.
On Dec. 1, when requested by CHEK Information if any metropolis staff had been fired in relation to the incident, the town stated it “can’t touch upon particular personnel issues,” however that every one inappropriate office behaviour allegations are investigated, and will end in disciplinary motion, together with termination.
A month later, on Jan. 8, the town confirmed {that a} municipal employee had been “terminated” for taking the cougar’s head.
The FOI request didn’t embody any additional particulars on the fired worker, and a few parts of the paperwork have been redacted.
READ PREVIOUS:
[ad_2]
Source link