B.C. man who shot at RCMP detachment, triggering active shooter alert, sentenced to 10 years in jail

A man who repeatedly shot at an RCMP detachment in a small town west of Prince George in 2021 has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Paul Nicholas Russell, 38, was convicted in June 2023 of charges related to the incident in Vanderhoof, B.C., including reckless discharge of a weapon, possession of a weapon for dangerous purposes, careless storage of a firearm, and fleeing police.

According to statements made to the court by Crown counsel, Russell has been in custody since the incident on Nov. 25, 2021, for a total of 711 days upon sentencing.

With credits for time already served, Russell will spend seven years and 28 days behind bars.

Earlier this year, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Francesca Marzari found Russell not guilty of attempting to kill a police officer, dangerous driving, and careless storage of ammunition, but convicted him of six other charges.

Russell entered the Prince George courthouse on Tuesday wearing handcuffs and a red sweatsuit. He smiled as he passed the gallery where a handful of supporters sat, including his parents.

According to the Crown's submissions, Russell, who works for a fabrication company just north of Vanderhoof, drove to the RCMP detachment in the centre of town around noon, during his lunch break.

He then fired a rifle at the building from his pick-up truck, including through two windows, upwards of 19 times from multiple vantage points. No injuries or deaths were reported.

The incident triggered the first active shooter emergency alert sent by the B.C. RCMP. RCMP policies on the use of the alert system had been updated following the mass shooting in Nova Scotia in 2020.

The alert, sent to thousands in the Vanderhoof area, told recipients to stay inside and lock their doors, sending workers and school children on lunch breaks rushing inside.

Within the hour, Russell was arrested and the lockdown was lifted. 

Officers and civilian employees who were in the precinct at the time of the shooting testified during the trial that they feared for their lives, and some continue to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

In the sentencing decision, Marzari said the fact that no one was injured was a credit to police officers' actions rather than Russell's.

'Completely out of character': defence lawyer

Russell's defence lawyers have urged the court to "look at the offender" rather than just the crimes.

Lawyer Donna Turko argued on Tuesday that the incident was a result of significant mental health challenges, including delusional thinking and paranoia, worsened by excessive drinking.

"This was completely out of character," Turko told the court.

Russell had previously pleaded guilty to a separate charge of assault with a weapon in connection to a Nov. 17, 2021 incident — a week before the shooting at the RCMP detachment — involving the assault of a taxi cab driver while Russell was intoxicated.

His lawyer argued both incidents are part of the same "spree" brought on by declining mental health.

Marzari found the diagnosis of "unspecified psychiatric disorder" in an August 2023 psychiatric evaluation, tendered by the Crown, to be murky.

In her reasons for sentencing, Marzari noted it as a "mitigating factor ... but it's unclear to what extent." 

'It was like a dream'

On Tuesday, Russell read a letter to the court, expressing remorse for his actions and the pain he caused his family and community.

"The best I can describe is, it was like a dream," said Russell. He said he has no recollection of the events leading to his arrest on Nov. 25, 2021. 

Letters from his parents and younger brother — who is also his supervisor at the fabrication company — were also read to the court expressing support for Russell.

In his mother's letter, she said the family tried to get him help in the months leading up to the incident, but was unable to access mental health supports in their small rural community of just under 5,000 residents. 

Russell said he pledged to live "clean and sober" upon release, and to continue to take medication to treat his mental health challenges, which he and his lawyers argued have successfully stabilized him while incarcerated.

Marzari found these commitments to be vague, and said she was concerned about his commitment to abstain from drugs and alcohol, and manage his mental health, outside of an institutional setting.

Russell's sentencing over the incident involving the taxi driver is scheduled for later this month.