Former military reservist sentenced for shotgun video calling Liberal MP a 'communist agent' for China
A former Canadian military reservist has been sentenced to house arrest after posting a video of himself firing a shotgun at a picture of a member of Parliament whom he accused of being a "communist agent" for China.
A British Columbia judge sentenced Peter Liu to a 60-day conditional sentence and 16 months of probation after the 30-year-old pleaded guilty to threatening to cause death or bodily harm to Wilson Miao, the Liberal MP for Richmond Centre.
Liu, who served five years as a Canadian Armed Forces reservist, posted the video to Facebook in May 2023.
The video began by showing a series of news articles accusing the Liberal MP of benefitting from Chinese interference in the 2021 federal election at the expense of the Conservative Party candidate, according to the provincial court decision.
The video then showed Liu, wearing a mask and dressed in camouflage pants, holding a campaign pamphlet of Miao, who immigrated as a child from Hong Kong, saying: "This is a communist agent" and "He will get what is coming to him," according to the decision.
Before racking a pump-action Mossberg 590 shotgun and firing into the pamphlet, Liu proclaimed the Arabic phrases "Mashallah" ("God has willed it") and "Allahu Akbar" ("God is greater"), the court heard.
A high-school friend of Liu saw the video on Facebook and recorded it before reporting it to police. The RCMP's national security enforcement team opened an investigation and arrested Liu.
Several guns, ammunition seized
Liu was born in China and also moved to Canada as a young boy, the court heard. During a search of his home, investigators seized 11 rifles that were unsafely stored, along with thousands of rounds of ammunition and multiple magazines.
Provincial court Judge Diana Vandor wrote in her decision that the main issue at sentencing was to "deter and denounce the anti-democratic and violent conduct that is at the heart of this case."
Liu had no prior criminal history, and was awarded a certificate recognizing his service to Canada on behalf of the Canadian government and the Canadian Armed Forces in June 2019.
He wrote a letter apologizing to Miao for the 2023 video, expressing "great shame and guilt," admitting his actions "were careless and dangerous, and could have jeopardized not just your personal safety, but that of the wider public."
'Threat to democracy itself'
Liu faced a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison, the judge wrote, saying his behaviour in the video met the very definition of anti-democratic violence.
"He threatened the life of a fellow human being, and that human being is a politician," the judge wrote. "It does not matter to which political party this victim belongs. His conduct amounted to a direct and literal threat to a democratically elected politician. More generally, a threat to democracy itself."
Liu's lawyer argued the Facebook video was not politically motivated and was only visible among a private group of about 30 people for one day before it would have been automatically deleted.
According to the court, the lawyer described the video as "gobbledygook" and a "poor joke," which the judge rejected outright.
"Mr. Liu shot through a political pamphlet of a Canadian politician after accusing that politician of being a communist agent, threatening that politician will get what is coming to him, and punctuating that threat by repeating phrases that are often uttered by Islamic extremists before committing acts of terrorism," the judge wrote.
"Mr. Liu's words and actions were morally reprehensible and should shock the conscience of the community," she added.
Court orders weapons ban
Under the terms of his house arrest and probation, Liu must adhere to a curfew and have no communication with Miao or his family members. He cannot be within 200 metres of the MP, and cannot possess any weapons or masks intended to disguise his face while committing an offence.
"In this political system, this country's future is decided at the ballot box instead of the barrel of a gun," the judge admonished.
"He should have known better because he has served in the Canadian military and been recognized for his service to this democracy."
In May, a federal inquiry found that while foreign interference by China did not affect the results of the 2021 general election, it is possible a "small number of ridings were affected, but this cannot be said with certainty."
The interim report concluded that foreign meddling by Beijing or others did not undermine the integrity of the election but may have undermined public confidence in the electoral system.
The Department of National Defence says Liu served as a private in the reserves in B.C. from 2014 until May 2019.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Biden and Trump will meet in the Oval Office on Wednesday, the White House says
U.S. President Joe Biden will host President-elect Donald Trump for a postelection meeting in the Oval Office on Wednesday, the White House said Saturday.
Qatar is suspending its role in talks between Israel and Hamas, sources say
Qatar is suspending its role as a mediator in talks between Israel and Hamas after concluding that the two sides are no longer negotiating in good faith, two sources familiar with the situation tell CNN.
No injuries after series of collisions involving moose: Sask. RCMP
Saskatchewan RCMP is urging motorists to exercise caution after a series of five collisions involving moose occurred on Friday evening.
Cynics not only lose out on friendships, love and opportunity — they're also wrong about human nature
Cynicism is on the rise. Should that come as any surprise given today’s divisive global conflicts and our fraught political landscape? Even the weather seems like it’s out to get us.
Man charged with participating in march with flaming torch has pleaded guilty to lesser charge
Another man charged with carrying a flaming torch with the intent to intimidate during a 2017 rally at the University of Virginia campus has agreed to a plea deal.
Remembrance Day: What's open and closed in Canada?
While banks and post offices will be closed nationwide on Remembrance Day, shops and businesses could be open depending on where you live in Canada.
Tourists in Rome now have a walkway to visit the Trevi Fountain but can't toss coins
Tourists in Rome won't be allowed to toss coins into the Trevi Fountain. A walkway now gives limited access to the monument during maintenance work.
Opinion Was music really better when you were younger? Or is your mind deceiving you?
As I see other generations of music lovers say music was so much better when they were younger, I wondered why. We can’t all be right — or maybe we are? I talked to experts in how music influences our brains to find out.
ANALYSIS Trump’s gains with Latinos could reshape American politics. Democrats are struggling to respond
Trump had a clear edge among Hispanic voters “very concerned” about the cost of food. Half said he would better handle the economy than Harris.