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Officer acted appropriately

Re: B.C. conservation officer Bryce Casavant’s suspension and subsequent redeployment.

Re: B.C. conservation officer Bryce Casavant’s suspension and subsequent redeployment.

In Casavant’s case, the two eight-week-old bear cubs were up a tree and “crying for their mother”, and thus not “likely to harm persons, property, wildlife or wildlife habitat.” It is also questionable whether they were “at large” since their mother had just been killed by officer Casavant, they were up a tree and “crying for their mother,” and were quite likely unable to reasonably care for themselves or to reasonably defend themselves from predators.

Further, due to their very young age it is quite possible and likely that a judge or other reasonable person would conclude that the B.C. government had just become the cubs’ guardian and that Casavant as the nearest responsible officer of the government had a duty of care to the cubs to provide for their immediate well-being and relocation to a suitable habitat.

Mark Adams

 

Saanich