RCMP deny they pointed their guns in traffic stop near North Preston

More details are emerging of the RCMP's version of a traffic stop near North Preston, N.S. in July.

Dean Simmonds, a superintendent with the Halifax Regional Police, says he was pulled over by the RCMP and ordered out of his car at gunpoint.

He and his wife, who was a passenger in the car, have filed a complaint about the incident. His wife, Angela Simmonds, was elected as MLA for Preston in August.

Shortly after the incident, Insp. Jeremie Landry, the acting officer in charge of the RCMP, emailed some members of Halifax regional council, giving the Mounties' version of what happened.

RCMP denial

In his email, Landry said an RCMP officer drew a gun, but that no guns were pointed Simmonds or his wife.

"Unequivocally, at no time, were any firearms pointed at them," Landry wrote.

Landry's email was the subject of a complaint by Halifax Coun. Waye Mason because the RCMP email was sent to some councillors, but not all.Mason also questioned the appropriateness of sending an email on an incident that is the subject of an ongoing investigation.

Mason raised the issue of the Mountie email with the chair of the Halifax Board of Police Commissioners, and it was brought up at the board's meeting last month.

CBC News requested a copy of the email, but the version supplied was almost completely redacted.

More information made available

On Friday, the city released a more complete version of the email. There are still redactions, but it is possible to make out what Landry is saying.

In the email, he tells councillors the car Simmonds was drivingmatched the suspect vehicle from a nearby shooting.

Landry also wrote that RCMP have obtained video from a Halifax Transit busthat was in the vicinity of the traffic stop.

Landry concludes his email by saying that officers immediately recognized Simmonds as he emerged from his car, and the high-risk stop was "quickly concluded."

The issue of how RCMP communicated in this case is to be discussed at this month's meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners.

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