‘I see it with my own eyes’: Edmonton sergeant on growing violence against police

WATCH ABOVE: The death of Const. Woodall is a tragic reminder of the violence police face daily. As Tom Vernon reports, some say the job is more dangerous than ever.

CALGARY – As condolences continue to flood in for the loved ones of Constable Daniel Woodall—shot to death while executing an arrest warrant in Edmonton on Monday night—the head of the city’s police association says such violence against officers is a growing concern.

“We’ve got this death—another officer shot—another officer shot three weeks ago, we’ve got the RCMP scenarios and what they’re going through…Don’t tell me there’s not more violence against police. I see it with my own eyes,” said Sgt. Maurice Brodeur, president of the Edmonton Police Association.

READ MORE: Edmonton police Const. Daniel Woodall, 35, killed in west-end shooting

“Last fall was one of the busiest I’ve ever worked. I was using force every weekend for a while, pepper-spraying people, throwing people to the ground,” he said.

“Somebody attacked me and I tried to put them into a wall, I went through plate glass window, I’ve got these new scars. I’m 53. I’ve been a policeman for 30 years, I’m going, ‘What is going on?’

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Somebody attacked me and I tried to put them into a wall, I went through plate glass window, I've got these new scars. I'm 53. I've been a policeman for 30 years, I'm going, 'What is going on?'

Woodall was one of several police officers who arrived at an Edmonton home to execute an arrest warrant for 42-year-old Norman Raddatz on Monday. As they tried to enter, Raddatz showered them with bullets from a high-powered rifle, killing Woodall and wounding Sgt. Jason Harley.

Police said they last saw Raddatz inside his burning home, set ablaze in the wake of the shootings. A body was later found in the basement.

Raddatz didn’t have a criminal record. Police Chief Rod Knecht said he was the subject of a lengthy hate crimes investigation involving online bullying of a local family, but there was “no believed threat” to officers sent to his home.

READ MORE: Who is Norman Raddatz?

Watch below: Global’s Vassy Kapelos profiles Edmonton gunman Norman Raddatz.

Federal Minister of Public Safety Steven Blaney called the tragic incident a reminder of the “incredible challenges our police officers face” and said his office supports measures that “increase their capability to face these challenges.”

“We have to make sure they are well-prepared, well-equipped, well-provided with resources,” said Blaney.

READ MORE: ‘He didn’t want to leave his guys behind’: Neighbour helps injured Edmonton officer to safety

Brodeur says violence against the police force is a dangerous sign.

“I think that needs to be taken very seriously, because if you’re violent towards a police officer, then you’re violent to anybody,” he said. “Because then there’s no fear; the line has shifted.”

Brodeur believes parole reform could be one tool to reduce such violence. He’s pushing for earning parole rather than “automatically” getting it; better reporting of breaches in the parole system and stricter penalties for breaching parole.

“Ten per cent of your population is 90 per cent of a police officer’s work,” he said.

“It’s a very small portion of people that causes the amount of grief and violence. We need to really focus on that and get those people off the street, and that will go a long way to making our cities safer.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's a very small portion of people that causes the amount of grief and violence. We need to really focus on that and get those people off the street, and that will go a long way to making our cities safer."

READ MORE: One Edmonton officer saved by body armour, here’s what you need to know

Watch below: Global’s ongoing coverage of the shooting death of Edmonton Police Const. Daniel Woodall

Blaney told reporters outside a Senate hearing on Tuesday that new anti-terrorism legislation currently before Parliament “will reduce the likelihood” of events such as Woodall’s death.

The shooting comes at a sensitive time for the Harper government, which is currently rushing an overhaul of gun licensing and transportation rules into law before an expected fall election. The government is currently pushing through Bill C-42, dubbed the Common Sense Firearms Act, which Blaney calls “the first substantive change to the firearms regime since it was brought in 20 years ago.”

The government says it’s working with the firearms community to strike a balance between what Blaney calls “streamlining” firearms paperwork and ensuring public safety.

The bill includes a mix of measures, including relaxing rules on the transportation of guns and simplifying the licensing system by combining two types of firearms licences into one, as well as new mandatory gun training for all licensees and a lifetime prohibition on firearms ownership by those convicted of domestic assaults.

With files from Global’s Karen Bartko,Trish Kozicka, Tom Vernon and The Canadian Press