Statement from C/Supt Wells on Dyke Road investigation, Grand Desert, N.S.

Good afternoon,

Since information came forward to Halifax District RCMP regarding a suspicious item earlier this week, investigators from the Integrated Criminal Investigation Division have been working around the clock to gather facts and evidence as part of an ongoing investigation.

I’m happy to report that since Monday, we were able to safely remove the suspicious item and take Christopher Burton Phillips into custody. Christopher Phillips will appear at Dartmouth Provincial Court at 1:30 p.m. today on one count of Uttering Threats and one count of Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose.

Health Canada chemists arrived yesterday afternoon at 1 p.m. and continue to work with RCMP chemists and officers at the scene to identify the chemicals. Within the cottage is a variety of containers filled with chemicals stacked from floor to ceiling. Many of these chemicals are unstable so we must use extreme caution and care to safely examine this extremely complex scene.

One of the reasons I wanted to speak with you today is to thank the citizens of Cole Harbour and Grand Desert for their patience and understanding. Finding a police officer on your door step asking you to leave immediately, not knowing when you would return, would be upsetting, inconvenient and frustrating. As police, our first priority is to keep the public and emergency responders safe. Our role is to identify safety concerns, anticipate any potential dangers and take the necessary steps to protect the community.

As soon as we became aware of what we were dealing with, specifically a suspicious item in Cole Harbour and a cottage full of chemicals in Grand Desert, we knew that it was in the best interest of public safety to evacuate nearby homes.

The investigation has been evolving all week, and I know that citizens want information.. The reality is, investigations take time. This is a particularly complicated scene and we must maintain the safety of emergency responders while we get answers to our questions, and yours.

In some cases however, we are not able to disclose information as it would impact the integrity of our investigation. So bear with us as we continue to investigate.

As far as the Dyke Road scene, we continue to dedicate numerous resources that remain on the ground including Halifax Fire & Emergency Services, Emergency Health Services, the RCMP Explosives Disposal Unit and our policing partner, Halifax Regional Police. Earlier in the week we also received support and assistance from the Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office and Canadian Red Cross.

I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of our partners. This has been a true community effort that exemplifies partnership. An update on the status evacuation order will provided at 3 p.m. today. I will now take a few questions.

Source: Release

Update on Dyke Rd. evacuation, Grand Desert, N.S.

Update on Dyke Road, Halifax, N.S.