Man found not guilty of attempted murder of RCMP officer in B.C. detachment shooting

A man charged with opening fire on the RCMP detachment in Vanderhoof, B.C., has been found not guilty of attempting to kill a police officer. 

But Paul Nicolas Russell was found guilty in B.C. Supreme Court of several firearms charges related to the incident in November 2021.

On Tuesday, Madam Justice Francesca Marzari found Russell not guilty of attempted murder with a firearm, careless storage of ammunition and dangerous driving.

The judge convicted him of six other charges:

• reckless discharge of a firearm; 
• possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose; 
• careless storage of a firearm; 
• flight from a peace officer in a motor vehicle; 
• mischief causing danger to life by discharging a firearm; 
• and mischief in relation to property by discharging a firearm.

A date for Russell's sentencing will be set in July. 

Russell was arrested after a man with a long gun, wearing a fedora and sunglasses, fired numerous shots at police cruisers and at the walls and windows of the Vanderhoof RCMP detachment, where a dozen people were working inside, on Nov. 25, 2021.

Officials issued an active shooter emergency text alert, urging people in Vanderhoof and nearby communities to shelter in place.

In opening arguments in B.C. Supreme Court in Prince George in May, crown prosecutors argued that Russell "intended to kill" police.

Witnesses testified that Russell left his workplace on his lunch break and drove his white pickup truck to the RCMP detachment, firing at the building from several locations.

Shots were fired through two different windows. 

Crown said officers inside moved civilian employees into the detachment cell block for their safety while two officers grabbed carbines and left the detachment to look for the assailant. 

Crown said Russell was eventually arrested outside a Kal Tire store, and RCMP found a rifle and boxes of ammunition in his truck. 

Russell has also been charged with assault with a weapon after an incident that allegedly occurred a week before shots were fired at the Vanderhoof detachment.

A trial date on that matter will be set in August.

In a statement, the president of the National Police Federation — the union representing more than 20,000 RCMP officers across the country — said he was "deeply concerned" the attempted murder charges were dismissed.

"Ultimately, this verdict is insulting and unfathomable given the current environment of increasing police officer deaths and workplace safety concerns they face," Brian Sauvé said.