“A house fire that erupted during an armed standoff in B.C.’s Lower Mainland three years ago was “intentionally” ignited by RCMP officers on scene, court documents have revealed. The May 2023 incident began as a wellness check, after Daniel Hackl’s family and friends had spent weeks worrying about his declining mental health.
What unfolded at Hackl’s Chilliwack home was an extremely tense and dangerous confrontation—during which Hackl refused to surrender, threatened to kill the officers on scene and ultimately opened fire on them. But the decision by law enforcement to burn the house down to bring the standoff to an end has still raised serious concerns, including from the B.C. Civil Liberties Association. “The home was in a densely populated area,” said Latoya Farrell, policy staff counsel for the BCCLA. “It’s beyond reckless, in my opinion.”