Dwayne McDonald has been the public face of the Mounties’ work on high-profile cases in the province, leading briefings related to the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, and speaking during a news conference after the killing of Burnaby RCMP Const. Shaelyn Yang in 2022.ETHAN CAIRNS/The Canadian Press
The commanding officer for the RCMP in British Columbia has been relieved of his duties after unspecified allegations from a decade ago.
RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme issued a statement Thursday saying the allegations against Dwayne McDonald date back between 2016 and 2018, when he served as the officer in charge of the Mounties’ Surrey, B.C., detachment.
Duheme’s statement said the allegations were brought to the force’s attention recently and investigations were ongoing.
It said the RCMP would not be providing further details at this time and the force was treating the matter “with the attention and diligence it requires.”
McDonald was appointed deputy commissioner in 2021, becoming the public face of the Mounties’ work on high-profile cases in B.C. He led briefings related to the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge that left eight victims dead last February and spoke during a news conference after the killing of Burnaby RCMP Const. Shaelyn Yang in 2022.
A statement from former public safety minister Mike Farnworth following McDonald’s promotion to deputy commissioner in 2021 said he brought a “wealth of experience” to the role, having served 26 years in the RCMP at the time.
McDonald served as officer in charge of the Mounties’ integrated homicide investigation team before becoming the top officer in Surrey. He then became the criminal operations officer for federal and organized crime investigations in 2019.
John Brewer has replaced McDonald as interim commanding officer in B.C. after serving as assistant commissioner in the province.
Duheme’s statement said Brewer is a respected member of the RCMP’s senior leadership team and the change would not affect RCMP’s operations in B.C.