The RCMP members association is demanding the federal government redo its investigation into the Mayerthorpe killings, claiming that the probe that was done lacked independence, CBC News has learned.

The association, which represents members of the force, is filing a formal complaint about the Mayerthorpe report prepared in February 2007 by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC).

Const. Anthony Gordon, top left, Const. Lionide (Leo) Johnston, top right, Const. Brock Myrol, bottom left, and Const. Peter Schiemann were killed in Mayerthorpe, Alta., in 2005.
(CBC)

The association claims the report bears a striking resemblance to the RCMP's own internal investigation into the incident which saw a gunman kill four RCMP officers on a rural farm in Mayerthorpe, northwest of Edmonton, on March 2, 2005.

In fact, the synopsis of events described in the HRSDC report mirrors almost word for word the synopsis in the RCMP report. The only difference is that the RCMP report, prepared in December 2006, says the "incident began quietly on March 2, 2005," while the HRSDC report cuts the word "quietly" and simply says the "incident began on March 2, 2005."

CBC News has obtained copies of both reports.

"Because of the content of the report that has almost been torn out of the RCMP report, obviously we have doubts about the independence of it," said Staff Sgt. Gaétan Delisle of the RCMP members association.

Delisle noted that Bryan Lloyd, the health and safety officer who wrote the HRSDC report, now works for the RCMP.

Lloyd took a civilian health and safety job with the force in November 2007, a job that was posted just one month after Lloyd submitted his report.

"Because [Lloyd] is now a civilian member of the RCMP, further doubts happen," Delisle said.

"We're asking [the labour minister] to redo a complete investigation."

The HRSDC is overseen by two federal ministers, Human Resources Minister Monte Solberg and Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn.

'We're confident it's fine': HRSDC

Terry Baker, a manager of labour programs at HRSDC, said his agency stands by its report.

"We're quite confident it was done well," he said. "We saw no flaws in it.

"I mean there's always things in an investigation if you go back over time and say, 'well maybe we could have done something else,' but there was nothing in here we saw as an open hole that we needed to fill. We're confident it's fine."

The HRSDC wouldn't comment on the specific complaint being lodged by the RCMP members association, explaining that the complaint hasn't yet been filed. The RCMP also said it would wait to comment until after the complaint was filed.

CBC News contacted Lloyd for comment, but he said he wanted to speak with his communications officials before addressing the issue.

4 officers died on scene

RCMP officers Const. Anthony Gordon, Const. Lionide (Leo) Johnston, Const. Brock Myrol and Const. Peter Schiemann were investigating stolen car parts and a marijuana growing operation in a Quonset hut when property owner James Roszko ambushed the four and shot them to death.

Roszko then left the building and fired two rounds, which struck a police car near where fellow officer Const. Stephen Vigor was standing.

Vigor returned fire, hitting Roszko and forcing his retreat back into the building where he eventually killed himself.

On Friday, Vigor was honoured with the Governor General's Medal of Bravery for preventing Roszko from escaping the scene.

Police have arrested two men from a neighbouring town in connection with the killings. Dennis Cheeseman, 23, and Shawn Hennessey, 28, each face four counts of first-degree murder.