Dramatic new video sheds light on March 12 shooting in Nanaimo

CHEK
Nanaimo RCMP were called to respond to an altercation downtown Nanaimo on March 12, 2023.

A new video sheds more light on a shooting in Nanaimo that sent one man to hospital with serious injuries earlier this month.

Some hope the release of the video, which was obtained by CHEK News, will put more pressure on crown counsel to increase the charges for the accused and keep him from being released on bail.

The video shows the confrontation between Clint Smith and his alleged shooter, as filmed by someone passing by Terminal Avenue in Nanaimo.

As the camera moves around a shrub, viewers can see a person pointing a gun, and the video may show when it was fired.

CHEK News was told Smith didn’t realize until after the fact he’d been shot. As seen in the video, the man wearing a dark helmet is one of the people who came with Smith.

“It’s strong in the sense that any visual capturing of events that are in question can be very useful, but it obviously does not tell the whole story,” said Robert Mulligan, a seasoned criminal defence lawyer based in Victoria.

It was March 12 when Smith and some others went to retrieve some stolen equipment from an encampment. When guns were pulled, they made their way back to their cars, and Smith was shot in the abdomen.

Craig Truckle has been charged with pointing a firearm and has a long criminal record stemming back to 2003.

Mulligan, who has viewed the video and has no connection to those involved with the Nanaimo shooting, says the video also raises questions.

“For example, what were the individuals who were most clearly shown in the video doing? How were they dressed? Were they armed? Did they tell the police during the investigation the truth?” said Mulligan.

Those connected with the shooting say they’re concerned that Truckle has only been charged with pointing a firearm and that he may be released on bail, but Mulligan says investigations and charges take time.

“It’s early days. The investigation, reporting to the crown, assessment, and all the various considerations that go into a criminal prosecution have probably not yet been concluded,” he said.

Mulligan says charges are quite frequently upgraded given time and investigation.

Today, B.C.’s Public Safety Minister was asked about crime in Nanaimo, and he says items in this year’s budget will aid the city.

“The peer-assisted care teams so that you’re able to prioritize the kind of situations that police find themselves dealing with that free up police so they can deal with more serious situations or have the mental health workers or supports in place,” said Mike Farnworth, who is also B.C.’s Solicitor General.

Truckle was scheduled for a court hearing Tuesday, which was moved to Wednesday.

Kendall Hanson

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