The RCMP is standing by a decision to arrest oilpatch vandal Wiebo Ludwig in connection to six pipeline bombings targeting oil and gas company EnCana's operations near Dawson Creek. B.C. officers are standing behind the decision despite newly surfaced documents that detail police were scripting a public relations strategy prior to the arrest.
The 86-page document sheds some light on the RCMP's public relations strategy as they investigated the bombings, which date back to 2008.
"The man was arrested because there was sufficient evidence to justify the arrest," said Insp. Tim Shields, the officer in charge of RCMP's media relations program in B.C.
The documents suggest officers were aware the public was questioning their tactics during the investigation and admit that a plan was in place to acknowledge residents' concerns before arresting Ludwig.
"A small percentage of the local residents hold the RCMP in contempt because of assertive investigative enquiries," the documents state. It goes on to say, "[and] are bridges that need to be re-built between the RCMP and the community."
The documents state that the RCMP's 14-month investigation resulted in,"circumstantial evidence supporting an arrest in relation to the bombing campaign."
But police never released the name of the man taken into custody. Yet Ludwig had no problem releasing that information to the media.
"They said that there is some DNA of mine on the outside of the envelopes that the suspected bomber had sent," said Ludwig.
And while police won't say what evidence they had to support an arrest, they admit it had nothing to do with appeasing the community.
"It is absolutely false and completely misleading to suggest that this man was arrested as part of a public relations campaign," said Shields.
Ludwig was eventually released without being charged. And no other arrests have been made.
And while it's been some time since a blast of any kind, criminologist Bill Pitt believes it's only a matter of time until another threatening letter surfaces.
"There will be another one. There always is another one -- until you catch the perpetrator," he said.
Ludwig maintains his innocence and feels he was targeted because of his past.
Ludwig spent 19 months behind bars after being convicted of vandalizing well sites. EnCana is still pursuing a peace bond that would force Ludwig to stay 200 yards away from EnCana infrastructure and its employees. He tells CTV News he plans to fight this in court and says he did nothing wrong.
A hearing in relation to the peace bond has been set for January 2011.
With files from Sean Amato
