An undercover police officer is set to face more cross-examination today at the murder-conspiracy trial of two protesters at the border blockade at Coutts, Alta.
Anthony Olienick and Chris Carbert are on trial charged with conspiring to murder police officers at the blockade.
The blockade ran for two weeks in early 2022, tying up traffic at the busy Canada-United States border crossing for two weeks to protest COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates.
The two men were arrested after Mounties found a cache of guns, body armour and ammunition in trailers in the area.
The undercover officer, who can’t be identified, has outlined several conversations she had with Olienick as she and a colleague portrayed themselves as supporters of the convoy.
The officer has told court that Olienick described the RCMP as the “arms” of Canada’s “devil” prime minister and he said if police tried to break up the blockade he would kill them all.
Olienick, the officer said, expected police would make sure he didn’t survive the blockade.
“He said he wants to kill them all,” she testified.
“If they come into Coutts, he said that he will slit their throats.”
Olienick’s lawyer suggested the officer, who made no recordings of the conversations, didn’t take exact notes and may have misinterpreted what was said about slitting throats.
“His statement, I’m going to suggest — if the police bring more recruits they will slit their own throats,” said lawyer Marilyn Burns.
“I’m suggesting there is another interpretation than simply the people at Coutts slitting the police throats.”
Olienick and Carbert are also charged with mischief and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. Olienick faces a further charge of being in possession of a pipe bomb.
Carbert’s lawyer, Katherin Beyak, was to continue her cross-examination Thursday.
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