The leadership of the Canadian military police has exonerated its officers following an internal investigation into a poorly executed training exercise in late 2024, which resulted in a civilian Department of National Defence (DND) employee being allegedly assaulted and injured.
Details of the Montreal Base Incident
The event occurred in November 2024 at a Canadian Forces installation in Montreal. During a scheduled drill designed to practice responses to an active gunman on the base, military police officers mistakenly targeted a DND employee who was not involved in the training. According to the Union of National Defence Employees (UNDE), the worker, who is Black, was violently detained.
The union stated the employee was physically assaulted, thrown to the ground, and had his clothing torn. He was then dragged outside into cold temperatures without adequate outerwear, leaving him traumatized by the event.
Internal Investigation Closed, Independent Probe Launched
An investigation was initiated by the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal to examine the conduct of the military police involved. In a recent email to the Ottawa Citizen, Capt. Suzanne Doe, a public affairs officer for the Provost Marshal's office, stated the internal review found no breach of the Military Police Professional Code of Conduct and has closed the file.
However, due to the serious nature of the allegations, the independent Military Police Complaints Commission (MPCC) has decided to conduct a public interest hearing. In a statement dated July 23, 2025, MPCC chair Tammy Tremblay emphasized the need to examine potential systemic issues like police brutality and racial profiling in a public forum, noting the findings could have wide implications for the military police.
Reactions and Next Steps
June Winger, national president of the Union of National Defence Employees, said she was not surprised by the outcome of the internal military investigation. She referenced previous federal reports that have questioned the oversight and independence of the military police justice system.
"UNDE looks forward to the MPCC public interest hearing where we believe a competent, unbiased examination of the facts will result in a report that provides reliable findings," Winger told the Ottawa Citizen.
The MPCC has not yet released details on when the public interest hearing will be held or when its final report is expected. The case highlights ongoing tensions between internal military accountability mechanisms and the call for external, transparent oversight.
