An Edmonton man has been arrested by the police for allegedly making death threats against Prime Minister Mark Carney, as reported by the RCMP. Dwight Peter MacIntyre, aged 44, has been accused of uttering threats against Carney through social media activities last month. The RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) issued a news release on Thursday confirming the charges against MacIntyre.
Supt. Matt Johnson, who heads national security at the RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region, emphasized that making threats online has consequences and can lead to criminal investigations and actions. He stated that criminal behaviors online have tangible repercussions, regardless of the digital platform used.
The investigation was initiated by INSET on September 4 after the RCMP was made aware of threatening posts directed at the prime minister on X, previously known as Twitter. While specifics of the threats were not provided by the RCMP, MacIntyre was arrested and charged by INSET officers on September 9, just five days after the investigation commenced.
Although the location of the arrest was not disclosed by the police, INSET acknowledged the assistance of the Edmonton Police Service and the Alberta RCMP’s Parkland detachment in the investigation. MacIntyre is set to appear at the Alberta Court of Justice in Edmonton on November 25.
RCMP issued a cautionary statement on Thursday, highlighting the need for heightened vigilance due to the changing security landscape faced by public figures in Canada and internationally. MacIntyre’s case is not an isolated incident, as there have been previous instances of individuals allegedly threatening Carney since he assumed office over a year ago. A man from Calgary was recently apprehended on similar charges, and earlier this year, two men from Quebec were also arrested for threats against the prime minister.