New sergeant-at-arms appointed in Ottawa

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is welcoming the appointment of Patrick McDonell as the official sergeant-at-arms of the House of Commons.

McDonell has been serving in the role as acting sergeant-at-arms and head of security for the House of Commons since 2015.

He replaces Kevin Vickers, who shot and helped take down Michael Zihaf Bibeau, who barged into Centre Block on Parliament Hill with a rifle in 2014 after killing honour guard reservist Cpl. Nathan Cirillo at the National War Memorial.

McDonell has had a long career with the RCMP and the protective service overseeing the protection of dignitaries, including the Prime Minister and the Governor General, as well as the grounds of Parliament Hill and the Supreme Court.

While with the RCMP, McDonell served in the United Nations’ civilian police force in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. He also spent time as the RCMP Liaison and Canadian Interpol representative in Austria in the late 1990s.

McDonell was chosen as the nominee for the position through the Trudeau government’s merit-based appointment process.

His appointment took effect July 1st.

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