By THE CANADIAN PRESS
GATINEAU, Que. — Canada’s top special forces soldier has been fined $2,000 after accidentally firing his weapon near another military officer last year.
A military judge handed down the punishment after Maj.-Gen. Mike Rouleau pleaded guilty at a court martial on Tuesday to one count of conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline.
The case stemmed from an incident in northern Iraq last December, where 170 Canadian special forces are training Kurdish forces in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
According to a statement of facts read during the court martial, Rouleau and another officer were getting ready to visit a forward operating base after presenting several soldiers with medals when his rifle fired one round. The bullet hit the ground less than two feet from the other officer.
One of his subordinates had earlier warned Rouleau that the rifle was loaded, according to the statement. After the shot was fired, Rouleau expressed surprise, saying: “I can’t believe that just happened.”
A few minutes later, according to the statement, Rouleau told several soldiers: “Fellas, that was totally me, and I’ll be sure to present myself to the CDS,” referring to chief of the defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance.
During the trial, prosecutor Maj. Chavi Walsh said Rouleau could have faced a maximum punishment of dismissal from the military with disgrace. He noted Rouleau, as a senior commander, had a responsibility to act as an example for his troops and hold himself to a higher standard.
But Walsh said he and Rouleau’s defence lawyer, Maj. Luc Boutin, had agreed that a $2,000 fine sent a sufficiently strong message about the proper handling of weapons. It was also in line with the punishments handed out in a number of similar cases, he said.
During sentencing, Judge Lt.-Col. Louis-Vincent d’Auteuil said Rouleau’s experience and position as a senior officer were aggravating factors. But he also said Rouleau was quick to report the incident and that he looked favourably upon Rouleau’s reputation as a leader as well as his unblemished record.
In a statement released Tuesday evening, Vance said the ruling “not only reaffirms the value in having a strong justice system, but also the requirement to hold everyone in the Canadian Armed Forces accountable for their actions.”