Sault-Ste-Marie: a call made the day before a family tragedy to report an assault

The Sault Ste. Marie Police Department launched a pilot project this week to better track calls related to domestic violence which do not lead to charges.

Open in full screen mode

Sault Ste. Marie Police Service Chief Hugh Stevenson says he will continue to explore all options to improve how officers respond to emergency calls, particularly for cases of violence marital. (Archive photo)

• Miguelle-Éloïse Lachance (View profile)Miguelle-Éloïse Lachance

Speech synthesis, based on artificial intelligence, makes it possible to generate spoken text from written text.

The Sault Ste. Marie Police Service (SPSSM) revealed at a press conference held Tuesday that Angie Sweeney, the adult victim of the family tragedy of last October 23, had mentioned during a call the day before the killing, having had an argument with killer Bobbie Hallaert two weeks earlier.

The person who answered the call at 911 did not relay the information to the police officer assigned to this call.

The police officer spoke to Ms. Sweeney, but did not obtain the information necessary to have reasonable cause to arrest Bobbie Hallaert.

The next evening, he killed Angie Sweeney and three children, in addition to injuring another person, before taking his own life.

As the evaluation of the SPSSM policy on domestic violence cases continues, Police Chief Hugh Stevenson announced the launch of a pilot project at the press conference.

LoadingThe combat readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces is deteriorating

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

The combat readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces is deteriorating

ELSE ON NEWS: The combat readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces is deterioratingLoading in progressThe combat readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces is deteriorating

Status combat readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces is deteriorating

ELSELL ON INFO: The combat readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces is deteriorating

For several days, the police have been following up on calls concerning domestic violence that do not lead to an arrest, to ensure that the complainants have not been assaulted.

The reason I do this is that will perhaps avoid something like what we experienced in Sault-Saint-Marie, where, you know, if an officer had called the next day, she could have made a different statement to tell us yes , she had been attacked. A car reportedly attended the scene and the man was arrested.

A quote from Hugh Stevenson, Chief of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service

Chief Stevenson indicated in an interview with CBC on Wednesday that 20 such follow-ups had been carried out since the start of the pilot project, which is expected to last six months.

The data collected will then be analyzed.

Gaëtane Pharand, outgoing executive director of the Victoria Center for Women, which serves Sault-Sainte-Marie among other places, is not sure that' ;#x27;a follow-up the day after Angie Sweeney's call could have changed things.

It depends, I think, much more on the police officer, than on what was said, she says.

Ms. Pharand, however, says she is encouraged by the SPSSM's desire to review the training of its staff regarding domestic violence.

With information from Erika Chorostil, CBC and Francis Bouchard

< ul>

Miguelle-Éloïse Lachance (Consult the profile)Miguelle- Éloïse LachanceFollow