An on-duty Oxford House RCMP officer who tried to shoot a caribou but hit his marked police vehicle instead has been charged and discharged from the force.
Manitoba RCMP said in Feb. 10 news release that Karl Tabares-Chevarie, 34, was charged Feb. 9 with using a prohibited firearm in a careless manner and hunting without a licence.
He resigned his post and was discharged in June of last year, following an incident three months earlier when hie missed a caribou but shot his RCMP vehicle with his police-issued rifle.
The incident occurred on March 14 of last year, when the officer was travelling back to Bunibonibee Cree Nation along a winter road. He saw a caribou and tried to hunt it illegally, but both shots missed the animal and damaged his police vehicle instead.
When he returned to the detachment, the constable informed his supervisor of what had happened and an investigation was launched, with the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba, which looks into incidents involving on- and off-duty police in the province, playing a monitoring role. Natural Resources and Northern Development conservation officers also monitored and assisted the investigation.
