Police initially ruled that the threat on Saturday afternoon was credible. Members of parliament, senators and staff were called to “shelter” as officers closed the streets as they investigated a “suspicious incident” and a “potential threat to the Hill Hill area”. Since then, several sources familiar with the situation have told CBC News that police are now investigating whether the source of the threat was a hoax. They are also trying to determine if the information that led to the mass police response was just bad information, according to sources, who spoke on condition that they were not named because they were not authorized to participate. Sources also state that there is no threat to national security. Police have not announced any arrests or charges since Sunday afternoon. Sources said the charges, if any, are not imminent.
The incident was initially described as a “potential threat”
A senior government source who was briefed on the situation confirmed that initial information about the “suspicious incident” was obtained Saturday afternoon by the Canadian Border Services (CBSA) intelligence service, a detail first reported by Global News. The CBSA warned that the potential threat to the parliamentary space included potential explosives in vehicles parked near Parliament Hill, the source said. The police tape was removed near Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Saturday. (Patrick Doyle / The Canadian Press) Law enforcement sources said the potential threat was considered credible at the time and was considered serious. An investigation has been launched – involving the Ottawa Police Department (OPS), the Parliamentary Protection Service (PPS) and the RCMP, among others. At 12:55 p.m. ET, the housing alert was sent to all MPs and parliamentary staff by the PPS – which leads the security operations in parliament – alerting them to what the agency called a “potential threat”. Parliament Hill was also evacuated. At the heart of downtown Ottawa, city police closed Wellington Street between Elgin Street and Bronson Avenue, as well as Metcalfe Street between Albert and Slater Streets. Senior government sources told CBC News that Prime Minister Justin Trinto and Public Security Minister Marco Medicino had both been briefed on the incident. At the time, Trinto was in Los Angeles to return to Canada after the end of the US Summit. At 3:35 p.m., the police tape blocking access to Parliament Hill began to descend. “After the investigation, no threat to public safety was identified,” Ottawa police said in a statement that afternoon, adding that two vehicles of interest and two people of interest were identified. Sources said the vehicles were “cleared” and any potential threats were unfounded.
There is still no threat to public safety: Ottawa Police
The investigation by several law enforcement agencies on Saturday afternoon began as what one source called “national security” in nature. “By the very nature of the fact that the initial threat was related to Parliament Hill and was related to possible explosives, it was initially seen as a threat to national security,” the source said. “Was it a ‘major investigation’ at first when the threat arose? One hundred percent. We did not know how serious the threat was. “Since then, the threat has been proven not to be verified. Would we describe it as a ‘major national security inquiry’ that is happening right now? Absolutely not,” the source said Sunday afternoon. On Sunday, the OPS, which is leading the investigation, did not provide any information and referred CBC News to a statement issued by the police service on Saturday stating that “the investigation into this matter is ongoing”, reiterating that there is no danger for public security . Sources said an investigation is under way to determine the source of the threat. Also Sunday, the RCMP said that “for privacy and operational reasons, the RCMP does not confirm, deny or publish information about criminal investigations until charges are brought. Only when an investigation results in criminal charges will the RCMP confirm the nature of the allegations made and the identity of the person or persons involved. “ The RCMP stressed that “there is no threat to the people of Ottawa or Parliament Hill at this time.” The CBSA said in a statement that it “does not confirm, deny or comment on ongoing investigations or police matters,” referring questions to PPS and OPS.
