(Lawyer Bob Buckingham. File Photo.)
A local lawyer says the least RCMP can do is to apologize to a west coast family who were startled when officers entered their home in the middle of the night and started questioning their 11-year-old daughter in her bedroom.
Police were acting on a complaint indicating that a missing girl was seen entering the home.
RCMP say they have the authority to enter a dwelling without a warrant under certain circumstances including public safety or the safety of an individual.
The family says they are taking legal action as a result of the incident.
St. John’s lawyer Bob Buckingham says without knowing all the circumstances leading to the incident, it still raises obvious concerns.
“Clearly it’s questionable whether the police were acting properly when they entered into the house that evening,” says Buckingham. Not only that, says the lawyer but “these types of mistakes can lead to tragic consequences.” He speculates about what might have happened if the people inside the home thought that the police were intruders and had a firearm on hand for protection, “something serious could have happened.”
