Kevin Vickers
| Kevin Vickers | |
|---|---|
| Canadian Ambassador to Ireland | |
| Assumed office January 19, 2015 |
|
| Preceded by | Loyola Hearn |
| 9th Sergeant-at-Arms of the Canadian House of Commons | |
| In office September 1, 2006 – January 2015 |
|
| Clerk | Audrey O'Brien |
| Preceded by | Maurice Gaston Cloutier |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 29, 1956 Chatham, New Brunswick |
| Occupation | Police officer, parliamentary official |
| Kevin Vickers | |
|---|---|
| Police career | |
| Current status | Retired |
| Department | Royal Canadian Mounted Police |
| Country | |
| Years of service | 29 |
| Rank | |
Kevin Michael Vickers (born September 29, 1956) is an ambassador, former Sergeant at Arms and former Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer.[1] He has been the Canadian Ambassador to Ireland since 19 January 2015.[2][3] He became world famous as the ninth[4] Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons of Canada. The Sergeant-at-Arms is responsible for the safety and security of the Parliament buildings and occupants, and ensuring and controlling access to the House of Commons. The position includes the ceremonial function of carrying the ceremonial gold mace into the House of Commons before every sitting.
Vickers participated in ending the October 22, 2014, shootings at Parliament Hill along side RCMP Constable Curtis Barrett when they both returned heavy fire [5][6][7]and Barrett fired the fatal shot that killed gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, after Bibeau had shot in the direction of Barrett who was leading a tactical formation in the Centre Block of the Canadian parliamentary complex. Minutes earlier, Zehaf-Bibeau had killed Corporal Nathan Cirillo, a ceremonial guard, at the Canadian National War Memorial and shot a constable at the Peace Tower entrance.[8] For his actions Vickers has been called a hero by the Prime Minister, Ministers of the Crown,[9] the Leader of the Opposition,[10] and Canadian and international media.[11]
Prior to his role in Parliament, Vickers served in the RCMP for 29 years, rising to the rank of Chief Superintendent.
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Early life and family[edit]
Vickers was born at Hotel Dieu in Chatham, New Brunswick,[12] where his mother Monica was a nurse and his father Bill operated a dairy named Northumberland Co-op Dairy.[13] He is of Irish heritage.[14]
Vickers grew up in Newcastle (now part of the city of Miramichi). His father invited home students from developing countries studying co-operatives at the Coady International Institute at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.[15]
Career[edit]
Policing[edit]
Vickers served in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for 29 years, attaining the rank of Chief Superintendent. He gained prominence as the incident commander during the 1999–2000 Burnt Church Crisis.[16][17] He spent ten years stationed in Alberta and ten years stationed in the Northwest Territories,[18] and subsequently was the director-general of the RCMP’s aboriginal police services branch.[19] In 2003, he became Director General of the National Contract Policing Branch for Canada, managing nine separate branches of law enforcement.[18]
Throughout his RCMP career, Vickers provided security for VIPs, including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Andrew. He also served as an aide-de-camp for the Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick.
Sergeant-at-Arms[edit]
In June 2005, he joined the House of Commons as Director of Security Operations.[20] He was appointed Sergeant-at-Arms for the Canadian House of Commons on August 24, 2006, and began serving on September 1, 2006.[20][21]
Vickers recalled that in his interview for the post "... I told them that if they made me their Sergeant-at-Arms, there would be no walls built around Canada's Parliamentary buildings ... I have kept my promise."[15]
In 2013, when Idle No More protestors arrived at Parliament Hill, Vickers participated in a ritual exchange of tobacco with Serpent River First Nation chief Isadore Day.[22]
On October 22, 2014, during the Parliament Hill attack, Vickers was initially identified as the sole hero and credited with the fatal shooting of Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, [23][24] but once the independent OPP report was released on June 1 2015, it was revealed that the suspect was shot multiples times by both Vickers and RMCP Constable Curtis Barrett as they simultaneously returned fire and that Barrett delivered the final shot to the head. [25] Zehaf-Bibeau entered the Centre Block under the Peace Tower, shooting a Commons security guard in the leg, exchanging gunfire, before running down the Hall of Honour to an alcove by the entrance to the Library of Parliament, which is beside Vickers' office. Vickers pulled a 9mm handgun from a lockbox and entered the hall. He stood behind the pillar in an opposite position to Zehaf-Bibeau and shortly after Zehaf-Bibeau had pulled away from the pillar and shot at Barrett he threw himself on the ground and fired multiple shots at the gunman. A niece told the Calgary Sun, "This is the first time in his career that he's shot anyone."[26]
Honours[edit]
- 1992 – 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal in 1992 for "significant contributions to fellow citizens, to their community, or to Canada."
- 2002 – Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal for contributions to public life.
- 2008 – Royal Canadian Mounted Police Long Service Medal.[27]
- 2009 – Honoured by the Association of Progressive Muslims of Canada for "long outstanding service", and "efforts to promote bias-free policing and diversity in the workplace".[28]
- 2011 – Honoured by the Canadian branch of the World Sikh Organization for his decision that Sikh Members of Parliament could wear their kirpans in the House.[15]
- 2015 – Order of New Brunswick for his role in stopping the shooting at Parliament Hill on October 22, 2014[29]
Vickers has also been recognized by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration for his "Outstanding Contribution to Drug Enforcement".[16]
Unofficial honours[edit]
Vickers received an extended standing ovation in the House of Commons for his role in ending the 2014 shootings at Parliament Hill, Ottawa.
Comedian Stephen Colbert had high praise for Vickers, comparing his actions to those of Bruce Willis in the movie Die Hard and also praising his stoic reaction to the standing ovation in Parliament.[30][31]
French President François Hollande said in an address to the Canadian Parliament. "I salute the courage of Kevin Vickers, who is known all across the world,”. [32]
"The International Conference on Homeland Security in Tel Aviv in November 2014 opened with calling Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers to the stage to acknowledge him for his courage." During the same trip, Vickers was recognized by the speaker of the Israeli Knesset and asked to rise in his seat in the gallery to be acknowledged by parliamentarians.[33]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ New Sgt.-at-Arms Vickers steps into Cloutier's shoes – Parliament Hill no more a threat than any large city's mass transit system: Sgt.-at-Arms Vickers; by Bea Vongdouangchanh; at the Hill Times; published September 18, 2006
- ^ Kevin Vickers to be named Canadian ambassador to Ireland at CTV; published January 8, 2015; retrieved January 8, 2015
- ^ "Appointment of New Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons" (Press release). Niagara Falls, Ontario: Rob Nicholson. August 24, 2006. Retrieved 2014-10-23.
- ^ House of Commons Procedure and Practice – Sergeants-at-Arms of the House of Commons Since 1867 – Appendix 11. Sergeants-at-Arms of the House of Commons Since 1867; from House of Commons Procedure and Practice, Second Edition, 2009; at the Parliament of Canada; retrieved October 22, 2014
- ^ "OAKLEY - The Real Hero of Parliament Hill?". 640toronto.com. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ "Police handled Hill shooter well: report". thestarphoenix.com. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ National Post. "Who fired the fatal shot that killed Michael Zehaf-Bibeau? Eyewitness account suggests it wasn’t Kevin Vickers - 24News.ca". 24news.ca. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ Ian Austen; Rick Gladstone (October 22, 2014). "Gunman Panics Ottawa, Killing Soldier in Spree at Capital". The New York Times.
- ^ Alexander Smith; Alastair Jamieson; Justin Ling (October 23, 2014). "Canada Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers Hailed Hero Over Gun Attacks". NBC News.
- ^ Randall Palmer; Leah Schnurr (October 23, 2014). "Cheers, tributes for Canadian guard credited with killing gunman". Reuters.
- ^ Rob Crilly (22 October 2014). "Kevin Vickers: a Canadian hero". Telegraph.co.uk.
- ^ KINGSTON 2000: Descendants of Samuel A Kingston and Lillian Isabella Loggie, at TomKingston.com; published August 1999; retrieved October 23, 2014
- ^ Alex Ballingall; Tonda MacCharles (October 22, 2014). "Parliament Hill sergeant-at-arms hailed as hero in Ottawa". Totonto Star.
- ^ Sheila Langan (October 24, 2014). "Hero of Ottawa shooting, Kevin Vickers, is a proud Irish Canadian". IrishCentral.com.
- ^ a b c Parliament to 'accept and embrace' wearing of kirpan, sergeant-at-arms explains, by Jane Taber, at The Globe and Mail; published June 2, 2011; updated September 10, 2012; retrieved October 22, 2014
- ^ a b Appointment of New Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons, by the Office of the Leader of the Government in The House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform; archived at MarketWired.com; published August 24, 2006; retrieved October 22, 2014
- ^ Intelligent Control: Developments in Public Order Policing in Canada, by Willem De Lint and Alan Hall; published 2009 by University of Toronto Press (via Google Books)
- ^ a b Miramichi’s own Kevin Vickers off to prestigious new position, by Gail Savoy, in the Miramichi Leader (archived at TomKingston.com); published January 2003 (exact date not provided); retrieved October 22, 2014
- ^ Police explanation sheds little light on dog slaughter; by Greg Younger-Lewis, at Nunatsiaq News; published March 11, 2005; retrieved October 22, 2014
- ^ a b Appointment of New Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons Market Wired
- ^ Appointment of New Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons; at RobNicholsonMP.ca; published August 24, 2006; retrieved October 22, 2014
- ^ Idle No More protest visits Parliament Hill; by Matt Rabey, at Lambda; published January 23, 2013; retrieved October 22, 2014
- ^ Kevin Vickers, Sergeant-At-Arms, Shoots a Shooting Suspect in Ottawa; Called a 'Hero', by Zachary Stieber, at the Epoch Times; published October 22, 2014; retrieved October 22, 2014
- ^ What unfolded during the attack in Ottawa, by Joe Friesen, at Globe and Mail; published October 22, 2014; retrieved October 22, 2014
- ^ John Ivison (2 June 2015). "Who fired the fatal shot that killed Michael Zehaf-Bibeau? Eyewitness account suggests it wasn’t Kevin Vickers - National Post". National Post. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ Michael Platt (October 22, 2014). "Parliament Hill shooting: Sergeant-At-Arms Kevin Vickers the family hero who took down Ottawa gunman". Calgary Sun.
- ^ RCMP Vet of the Month: July 2008 – About our author: Sergeant at Arms, Kevin M. Vickers, by J. J. "Buffalo Joe" Healy; at RCMPGraves.com; published July 2008; retrieved October 22, 2014
- ^ 15TH ANNUAL EID-UL-FITR – OCTOBER 7, 2009, at the Association of Progressive Muslims of Canada; published October 7, 2009; retrieved October 22, 2014
- ^ "Kevin Vickers receives Order of New Brunswick". Retrieved 2015-08-04.
- ^ Alexander Panetta (October 31, 2014). "Parliamentary hero Kevin Vickers gets high praise from Stephen Colbert". Toronto Star.
- ^ "Stephen Colbert praises Kevin Vickers: 'To hell with Bruce Willis'". CBC News. October 31, 2014.
- ^ "Kevin Vickers to be honoured at Israeli Knesset". CTVNews.
- ^ "Kevin Vickers to be honoured by Israeli Knesset". Yahoo News Canada. 11 November 2014.