Police chief vows to nab 'domestic terrorists'

Ottawa Police Chief Vern White has termed the suspects in the Royal Bank firebombing domestic terrorists and has vowed to use the force’s full resources to bring them to justice.

“We have some good leads. I have to be honest and I understand the public’s concern. It’s as scary for us as it is for them. This is a city that’s typically been untouched by this type of activity.”

When asked what type of activity he meant, the chief didn’t flinch.

“I will argue these are domestic terrorists,” he replied. “Typically, this country has been safe and untouched. We’ve looked at other countries and said ‘Geez, you know what? It’s not us.’ But I’ve said if it’s not us it’s been luck. So we’ll be vigilant and we have great partners with the OPP, RCMP and others and we will bring those to justice, but it won’t be easy.”

Police are working with the Mounties’ Integrated National Security Enforcement Team, which includes Canada’s spy agency, CSIS.

White said police would do everything possible to bring a quick end to the investigation.

“Hopefully, it will be quick because I know the public is as concerned as we are. With 2,000-plus (police officers) we’ll put everyone that has to be on it on it.”

Detectives have been working around the clock going over evidence, checking records and following leads in their hunt for the people behind the firebombing of the Royal Bank branch at Bank St. and First Ave. Tuesday.

Ottawa police have reviewed video footage provided by RBC taken from the ATM machines but wouldn’t say if it was of much help.

They also requested surveillance footage from a spa about 50 metres east on First Ave. that may have recorded the three to four men seen fleeing the area after the front of the bank was torched at about 3:30 a.m.

Police have made no arrests and haven’t said if they have suspects.

It’s not believed there are any other cameras in the immediate area. The closest City of Ottawa traffic camera is at Bank and Catherine streets.

Police have been searching for up to four people, believed to be men, who set off the firebomb and then posted a short video of it hours later on the Internet.

The footage shows two figures leaving the building through the side door but it appears the bomb explodes inside, shattering the front windows, while one person is still inside.

Police have been checking hospital records looking for anyone admitting themselves at the emergency room with burns.

The video was shot diagonally across the intersection by a third person. It was posted on popular activist website ottawa.indymedia.org at about noon. Police are expected to draft a search warrant for Internet provider addresses to track the source of the posts.

The video accompanies a message from the anarchists complaining RBC “was a major sponsor of the recently concluded 2010 Olympics on stolen indigenous land.”

“The Vancouver Olympic games are over, but a torch is still burning,” a rolling text reads after the video abruptly ends.

It continues to say the land was never legally “ceded” to colonial British Columbia.

Damages are estimated at about $300,000 and the entire front of the bank was destroyed.