Posted on 09/12/2005 4:39:39 AM PDT by DaoPian
It started with the shooting Friday night of a New York State trooper near Plattsburgh.
When an alert was sent to Canadian customs agents in Quebec warning of an "armed and dangerous" suspect, some 50 employees walked off the job for four hours at about 15 of 44 border crossings just before 9 a.m. yesterday.
The result was long lines for Canada-bound traffic of up to 90 minutes at St. Bernard de Lacolle, the busiest crossing in the province, officials reported.
It took management staff at the checkpoints about two hours to clear the backlog and process waiting cars, said Dominique McNeely, a spokesperson for the Canada Borders Services Agency.
"The established procedure was followed and there was at one point a significant line-up," McNeely said, confirming the delay of up to two hours. No cars were waved through, he said.
The agents, members of the Customs and Excise Union, returned to work at 1:50 p.m. after it was confirmed the suspect,
Vladimir Kulakov, 47, of Plattsburgh, who fled on foot, was arrested in Chester, N.Y.
He was driving a stolen pickup truck on Friday night. With two state troopers in pursuit, Kulakov abandoned the truck and fled into the woods.
Trooper Sean Finn, 34, located the fugitive in a grassy area when the shots were fired. The trooper was struck on the left side of his head and in both hands, and has since been released from a hospital.
The suspect is to be arraigned on attempted murder, resisting arrest and other charges.
Meanwhile at the border crossings, the protesting agents were exercising their right under the Canada Labour Code to withdraw services if they feel their life or health is threatened.
"We're not armed, we're not going to be a target," said Jean-Pierre Fortin, a union spokesperson. The union wants the federal government to supply border agents with sidearms. Ottawa says the agents' bulletproof vests, telescopic batons and pepper spray are sufficient.
Here's the story from our side of the border:
http://www.pressrepublican.com/Archive/2005/09_2005/091020051.htm
http://www.pressrepublican.com/Archive/2005/09_2005/091120051.htm
"Ottawa says the agents' bulletproof vests, telescopic batons and pepper spray are sufficient."
Idiots.
Never bring batons and pepper spray to a gun fight.
While a very bad showing on the part of the guards I think they have a point about being armed. Let the government issue them guns and let us see if the union people still walk of the job.
Jean-Pierre Fortin, a union spokesperson... Check out this guy's name. Need I say more?
Except for that cop shooting thing he sounds like a cool guy.
I'd like to see 'Ottawa' try out some of them there 'bulletproof vests'. This is another one of those situations where someone (or more) people are going to have to die before the politicians take action and get over their anti-gun fixations. In this case it is going to be a Canadian border guard.
Were they French Canadians?
Then they will be mad and armed. Didn't the post office try that? Of course, I am kidding.
Howie probably didn't like the flavor!
Just damn! ping. Read the last para of the article first.
Looks like the Cannuks have passed their military strategy down to their border control agents.....
Anyhow, I ate at that restaurant in 1993 and was sick for a week. Ah, to be back at the Robin's Nest for happy hour............ There has not been that much excitement in Champlain/Rouses Point since a car bomb went off and snuffed out the life of some local guy testifying in a drug trial, back in the '94-95 timeframe.
If you had to wait six months to see a doctor, would you take a chance on getting shot?
Now ain't that the truth? I have a friend in Montreal who had to wait 9 weeks for a severe hernia operation, then he had to go for three weeks in pain because it had enlarged so much they had to do major surgery due to the tearing of the muscle involved. He told me that the next time he had to have surgery he was going to Thailand because it was so much cheaper and faster too.
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