London Police Services Board chair, chief react to Veltman sentencing
The London Police Services Board chair and chief released a joint statement Friday night following the sentencing of Nathaniel Veltman.
It comes after a precedent-setting decision on Thursday when the man convicted of murdering four members of a London, Ont. Muslim family and seriously injuring a young boy was deemed a terrorist for his actions.
Veltman is now serving five concurrent life sentences for the murders and attempted murder against the Afzaal family members.
The judge determined — for the first time in a Canadian court — the offender was motivated by a white nationalist ideology, intending to intimidate the Muslim community across Canada and beyond.
LPS Board Chair Ali Chahbar and Chief Thai Truong said the decision affirms the murders constitute terrorism.
They said June 6, 2021 left a deep scar on the London community and inflicted trauma on the first responders who were dispatched to the scene.
Chahbar and Truong added that the London Police Service was entrusted with the investigation until the conclusion on Thursday, and the outcome is due, in part, to their collective diligence and resolve.
Here's the full statement
“The attack on June 6, 2021, opened a deep wound within our community and inflicted trauma on the citizens who came to the aid of the victims in the immediate aftermath, the first responders dispatched to the scene, and most profoundly, on Muslims throughout the city and beyond. The horrors of that late spring evening have left a deep scar on our community. However, it is our hope that the bonds formed through shared grief among family, friends, neighbours, and complete strangers will continue to grow and strengthen.
We are grateful for the efforts of the dedicated members of the London Police Service, who were entrusted with the investigation from the first 9-1-1 call until the conclusion yesterday. The outcome is surely due, in part, to their collective diligence and resolve.
On behalf of the London Police Services Board and the London Police Service, we extend our sincere appreciation to our law enforcement partners in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (GTA and Southwest Ontario), the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, the Crown Law Office - Criminal, the Middlesex Crown Attorney’s Office, the Victim Witness Assistance Program, and all community organizations that provided support.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING 122 active wildfires burning across Canada, 32 considered 'out of control'
The 2024 wildfire season has begun, and it's shaping up to follow last year's unprecedented destruction in kind, with thousands of square kilometres already consumed.
B.C. parents sentenced to 15 years for death of 6-year-old boy
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has sentenced the mother and stepfather of a six-year-old boy who died from blunt-force trauma in 2018 to 15 years in prison.
Veteran TSN sportscaster Darren Dutchyshen has died
Veteran TSN broadcaster Darren 'Dutch' Dutchyshen, one of Canada’s best-known sports journalists, has died. He was 57. His family says 'he passed as he was surrounded by his closest loved ones.'
Police issue Canada-wide warrant for Regina homicide suspect
Police have issued a Canada-wide warrant for a man wanted in a homicide which occurred in Regina on May 12.
Kevin Spacey receives star support as he fights to get his career back
Kevin Spacey is pushing back on the 'rush to judgment' against him and is being backed by some big names as he seeks to reclaim his acting career.
Speaker cuts ties with Sask. Party, alleges he faced threats, harassment from gov't MLAs
The Speaker of the Saskatchewan Legislature Randy Weekes has severed ties with the Sask. Party after accusing some members of harassment and intimidation tactics, including a situation he claimed saw the Government House Leader bring a hunting rifle to the legislative building.
Trudeau calls New Brunswick's Conservative government a 'disgrace' on women's rights
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assailed New Brunswick's premier and other conservative leaders on Thursday, calling out the provincial government's position on abortion, LGBTQ youth and climate change.
A Toronto man killed his mother and decapitated her. His lawyers argue it wasn't murder
A ‘lifetime of abuse’ led Dallas Ly to snap and repeatedly stab his mother inside their Leslieville apartment in 2022 but he never intended to kill her, his defence lawyers argued during his murder trial in Toronto on Thursday.
Father charged with second-degree murder in daughter's stabbing death southwest of Montreal
A father has been charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing death of his 34-year-old daughter in southern Quebec.