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Canada

mndemsocialist

(48 posts) Mon Oct 27, 2014, 09:37 PM Oct 2014

A question from an American about events in Ottawa

I was wondering, how did the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Commons come to have a gun?

I know that he is an ex-Mountie, but is the Sergeant at Arms normally armed, or does he keep a gun in his office?

Just curious...

3 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

A question from an American about events in Ottawa (Original Post) mndemsocialist Oct 2014 OP

Here is the CBC account.... Grey Oct 2014 #1

I was a little surprised, I thought it was purely a ceremonial post. Joe Shlabotnik Oct 2014 #2

His main responsibility is the security of Parliament... Spazito Oct 2014 #3

Grey

(1,581 posts)

1. Here is the CBC account....

Reply to mndemsocialist (Original post)

Mon Oct 27, 2014, 10:20 PM

Oct 2014

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ottawa-shooting-the-face-to-face-encounter-that-ended-the-attack-on-parliament-1.2812802

The gun is kept in a locked box in his office.

Joe Shlabotnik

(5,604 posts)

2. I was a little surprised, I thought it was purely a ceremonial post.

Reply to mndemsocialist (Original post)

Mon Oct 27, 2014, 10:39 PM

Oct 2014

Though, if he used the parliamentary mace to subdue (bludgeon) the shooter, now that would have been something.

Spazito

(54,862 posts)

3. His main responsibility is the security of Parliament...

Reply to mndemsocialist (Original post)

Tue Oct 28, 2014, 01:06 AM

Oct 2014

"That’s his job – to safeguard the House, and oversee security on Parliament. During Question Period, he sits by the main doors, monitoring the public galleries in the balconies above with television screens on his desk. His office is just about six metres down the hall from the Parliamentary Library, near where the gunman was said to have been killed yesterday."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/sergeant-at-arms-kevin-vickers-thrust-into-role-of-modern-day-hero/article21251215/

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