Top B.C. Mountie Dwayne McDonald relieved of duties over unspecified allegations

RCMP say Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, the commanding officer for the Mounties in British Columbia, has been relieved of his duties following unspecified allegations dating back to between 2016 and 2018.

A statement from RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme says the allegations were brought to the force’s attention recently and investigations are ongoing.

It says the RCMP would not be providing further details at this time and the force was treating the matter “with the attention and diligence it requires.”

John Brewer replaces McDonald as interim commanding officer in B.C. after serving as assistant commissioner in the province.

Duheme’s statement says Brewer is a respected member of the RCMP’s senior leadership team and the change will not affect RCMP’s operations in B.C.

McDonald has been the public face of the Mounties’ work on high-profile cases in the province, leading briefings related to the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., that left eight victims dead last February and speaking during a news conference after the killing of Burnaby RCMP Const. Shaelyn Yang in 2022.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2026.

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