A Calgary man is in custody after allegedly threatening to commit mass murder against police officers on a social media livestream earlier this month. “I’m taking down as many as I can on my way out,” said Nicholas Scott Smith. “You don’t win a war without taking casualties. I don’t want to go to prison, bro.” The 48-year-old made those comments during the Sept. 9 stream. “Remember Mayerthorpe?” Smith said to those watching his video. “Remember that? They can come get some any time they’re ready. They’re coming on [Sept.] 27th. Mayerthorpe is coming on the 27th.” The event he’s referring to is the March 2005 shooting of four RCMP officers, when constables Anthony Gordon, Lionide “Leo” Johnston, Brock Myrol and Peter Schiemann were shot and killed by James Roszko on a farm near the community of Mayerthorpe. They were executing a search warrant when they were shot to death inside a Quonset hut by Roszko, who later killed himself. The video Smith posted alerted police in Calgary, who have since charged Smith. He was arrested at his northeast home on Sept. 17, before his alleged plan was set to play out. He is currently in custody. None of the allegations have been tested in court. Court documents allege that Smith knowingly uttered, conveyed or caused public to receive the threats to cause death or bodily harm to police officers on or around Sept. 9. “I’m not taking Sammy’s truck as I don’t know if she’ll get it back because after what I go do her truck will be at the impound and I’ll be dead,” Smith said. CTV News has learned that Smith allegedly planned to drive to the Edmonton area and commit the offense in the Spruce Grove area. “I’m not going back (to prison),” Smith told the livestream. “So when they try to send me back for 16 years, they’re going to have to put one right f***in here.” Smith does not have a significant criminal history in Alberta. Court records show he has several traffic infractions and two other cases before the courts. One of those cases includes charges for uttering threats and criminal harassment, on which Smith appeared briefly in court Friday via CCTV. The second case is a failure to appear charge. ‘Not a meme’ One criminologist says police are very proactive in learning of these cases. “It makes it very easy for the police and the prosecution to do their job,” said Mount Royal University’s Kelly Sundberg. “But at the same time, we have to be mindful that what we say and what we do online actually has real world consequences.” Sundberg says recent online threats against a Toronto synagogue, the prime minister and now police officers are all cause for concern. “(Perpetrators) have to be aware that when you utter threats, especially online, and you project it to thousands of people over the internet, around the globe with a record of it and you threaten the prime minister or you threaten to carry out another Mayerthorpe... they don’t realize that their actions online can be criminal,” he said. Sundberg says Smith will need a good lawyer. “Those allegations are going to be very difficult for him to defend against,” Sundberg said. The National Police Federation, the union representing RCMP officers in Canada, says the alleged threats are concerning. “We don’t know if somebody is venting or if this is their version of our manifesto,” said NPF Vice President Chris Voller. “Tumbler Ridge, most recently, where there were online indicators that something tragic was about to happen and they were ignored.” Voller says assaults on police officers in Canada are on the rise every year, with just one year in the last ten seeing a decrease. “Thirty-eight police officers are assaulted at work every day,” he said. Voller says the allegations against Smith are quite disturbing. “Four members were murdered in Mayerthorpe,” he said. “That’s not a meme. That’s not a punchline. That’s not thing that should be used as shorthand for threatening a police officer. But we are aware that there are people that want to do us harm.” CTV News reached out to Calgary Police Service on several occasions for an interview or discuss the case, but police refused comment. Smith remains in custody at the Calgary Remand Centre and is due back in court Oct. 2.
