What we're learning from Peter Sloly's testimony at Emergencies Act inquiry

His leadership and handling of the "Freedom Convoy" has been under intense scrutiny for months. Now, former Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly is telling his side of the story about the days leading up to the occupation and the chaos during it.

Here are some highlights from Sloly's testimony at the Emergencies Act inquiry Friday.

Intelligence gaps

Despite intelligence reports warning that some protestors were going to refuse to leave until COVID-19 mandates were lifted, Sloly said he still thought it would be a weekend event with numbers that had been managed previously.

One version of a threat assessment shown Friday says the convoy would be bigger than any demonstration in recent history, is disorganized and warns of communication issues like clogged cellular networks. Sloly told the inquiry he's never seen that particular document.

Sloly said delegated responsibilities to deputy chiefs overseeing intelligence and planning. He also questioned why federal partners weren't providing comprehensive intelligence reports like OPP considering this was a national event involving convoys from across the country.

"There's a structural deficit in our national intelligence threat risk assessment process. I'm grateful for OPP for filling that gap but it was not optimal for us or any other jurisdiction," Sloly said.

Sloly says he was kept in the dark

Earlier testimony revealed an event commander was removed by Sloly through Acting Deputy Chief Trish Ferguson.

Sloly said that was "absolutely false" and said the decision "was made without any consultation, any communication to me and one that appeared to have been kept secret from me until literally it came up in the briefing meeting I had called."

Sloly said the level of trust between him, Bell and Ferguson changed after that, though said it improved later on.

"At best I can call this a significant lack of judgement on behalf of my two operational deputies. At worst probably this would've been a review I would've done after the events had concluded and looked at it even more closely," Sloly testified.

Sloly also pushed back against allegations heard at the inquiry that all plans had to be approved by him, that his tone was aggressive and he was unwilling to negotiate.

No need for OPP to take over jurisdiction

On Thursday, released documents showed texts sent from RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki to OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said the government was losing or had lost faith in the Ottawa Police Service and that if the Emergencies Act was invoked, RCMP or OPP may have to take over as police of jurisdiction.

By mid-February Carrique testified he felt that OPP taking a larger role was necessary.

Sloly pushed back on that Friday, saying the situation was never bad enough for him during his tenure as chief to have requested the OPP take over.

"It would've been irresponsible and unnecessary to burden another police service with that level of request," Sloly said, adding OPP on its own wouldn't have had the resources.

Non-policing solution

Sloly admitted he should have been more clear when he said in early February that there may not a policing solution to resolve the occupation.

During a meeting with officials, he recalled saying, "Please understand we're doing everything we can and we'll continue to do everything we can on a repeat loop but at some point this isn't going to end just by the Ottawa Police Service.

"Even if we could find a way to get all the resources we need it's going to come back again next week, the month after, Canada Day," Sloly testified. "This is a larger movement or series of movements, this is a trend that's happening across the country and around the world and so there needs to be more than just a policing solution to it."

Emotional former chief

Sloly said he knows residents felt abandoned by police during the convoy and wanted the situation resolved—something police couldn't do early on.

When asked how officers on the ground were holding up, Sloly teared up and took a few minutes to compose himself.

"They were doing their very best under inhuman circumstances, like the city was, like the community was… it was too cold and it was too much but they did their very best and I'm grateful to them."

Sloly said the level of misinformation and disinformation was "off the charts" and it was "crushing" to the morale of officers and others.

The occupation and inability to end it for weeks made headlines around the world. Sloly said media coverage wasn't accurately portraying the work of Ottawa police and partner agencies.