‘Violent statements will not be tolerated’
An RCMP officer has been charged and laid off after allegedly delivering threats against the U.S. President Donald Trump online.
Evenson Dumerlus, 34, of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, posted a video to his Snapchat account in which he apparently made threatening comments toward Trump, RCMP Federal Policing Eastern Region said.
The events reportedly occurred while he was deployed on G7 security operations in June 2025.
The force did not detail the content of the comments beyond describing them as threatening.
RCMP investigation
The video was reported by another RCMP officer, the force said, and an investigation was subsequently taken over by the RCMP Special Investigations Unit.
After reviewing the evidence, investigators "acted quickly," the force said. Dumerlus was removed from his duties on the same day as the alleged incident.
He is facing one charge under the Criminal Code of uttering threats, the RCMP said. The charge against the officer has not been tested in court, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
He is scheduled to appear at the St-Jean-sur-Richelieu courthouse on July 30, 2026.
Previously, a U.S. ambassador reframed Trump's CUSMA threats.
Penalties for uttering threats
Under section 264.1 of the Criminal Code, the penalties for uttering threats depend on what was threatened.
Where the threat is to cause death or bodily harm to a person (paragraph (1)(a)), the offence is a hybrid offence: the Crown may proceed by indictment, in which case the accused is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or it may proceed by summary conviction.
The hybrid structure gives prosecutors discretion to match the mode of proceeding to the seriousness of the case.
Where the threat is to burn, destroy or damage real or personal property (paragraph (1)(b)), or to kill, poison or injure an animal or bird that is someone's property (paragraph (1)(c)), the maximum penalty is lower.
These offences are also hybrid: on indictment, the accused is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or the Crown may proceed by summary conviction. In all cases, the offence requires that the person knowingly uttered, conveyed or caused another person to receive the threat, by any means.
RCMP's appeal to the public
In a public appeal accompanying the announcement, the RCMP set out its position on threats.
"The RCMP takes seriously any threats that can affect one's sense of security," the force said, adding that "violent statements will not be tolerated."
The force said perpetrators may face criminal charges carrying significant sentences, and stressed the role of reporting. "Such incidents must be reported if we are to combat this type of crime," it said.
The RCMP asked anyone with information on illegal activity to contact the force at 514-939-8300 or 1-800-771-5401, the National Security Information Network at 1-800-420-5805, or their local police department.
Previously, a high-profile RCMP code of conduct hearing in British Columbia took a dramatic turn after defense lawyers accused senior leadership of improper interference.
