Current Problems: Justice (25-42)
Exploring Theme: "Systemic Racism in RCMP"
Updates on this page: 113
November 13, 2024
First Nation Elder says Burns Lake RCMP owe her an apology for putting her in handcuffs, ticket
Irene Alec says she was handcuffed, ticketed by officer for littering offence she didn’t commit. A large wooden sign welcomes visitors to Burns Lake in northern B.C. Photo: Kathleen Martens/APTN News APTN News: A well-respected 69-year-old Lake Babine First Nation Elder and mother of six says an RCMP officer in Burns Lake, B.C. handcuffed her,...
November 7, 2024
RCMP national security unit monitored ‘threats’ linked to Wet’suwet’en anti-pipeline activism, records show
Reports raise questions about scope of surveillance around ‘critical infrastructure,’ sociologists say CBC Indigenous: An RCMP national security unit monitored First Nations-led anti-pipeline activism for “potential threats” to the energy, transportation and banking sectors between 2021 and 2022, internal police documents show. Records obtained by CBC Indigenous reveal Ottawa-based federal policing groups tracked and analyzed protests...
November 6, 2024
RCMP officer says he was told not to take notes during enforcement at Wet’suwet’en blockade
Closing arguments in abuse of process application to be made in December CBC Indigenous: B.C. Supreme Court has finished hearing evidence in Smithers, B.C., in an abuse of process application for three people arrested for blocking work on the Coastal GasLink pipeline. Justice Michael Tammen is hearing the abuse of process application brought by Sleydo’ (Molly Wickham),...
November 5, 2024
RCMP officer says cultural items removed from Wet’suwet’en blockade members seen as safety risks
Inspector later told officer items could be returned WARNING: this story contains details of cultural items being forcibly removed CBC Indigenous: An RCMP officer told court in Smithers, B.C., Tuesday it’s common practice to remove cultural items from people when they’re being processed into custody. Justice Michael Tammen is hearing an abuse of process application brought by Sleydo’ (Molly...
October 30, 2024
FNLC Supports the Families of First Nation Victims Killed by Police and Calls for a Nation-Wide State of Emergency
(xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh)/Vancouver, B.C.) The First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) fully supports demands from the families of nine First Nations individuals who were killed by law enforcement agencies across the country in August and September. NationTalk: On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, a group of individuals including the families of eight of...
October 15, 2024
Officers entered former Behchoko chief’s home in pursuit of suspected impaired driver: RCMP
‘They pushed me back[wards] and then threw me against my arm chair and couch,’ says Leon Lafferty. APTN News: Police officers did not need a warrant to enter Leon Lafferty’s Behchoko residence on Oct. 6, based on a statement from RCMP information officer Const. Josh Seaward. Lafferty, a former Behchoko chief, claims two officers arrived at his...
October 11, 2024
‘We want our kids back’
A Fifth Estate investigation into a sudden spike in deadly crime in a small northern B.C. community has revealed key details in the final moments victims were last seen alive and unearthed communitywide frustration with the RCMP. CBC News: A late summer sun peeks through the branches, creating a blanket of soft dappled light over...
October 4, 2024
Lawyer for only RCMP officer convicted in Dale Culver’s death requests obstruction case be dropped
Gitanyow leaders ‘outraged’ as latest move further delays Prince George constable’s sentencing for obstruction of justice Content warning: This article contains details about police violence. Please read with care for your spirit. Indiginews: Lawyers for a “Prince George” Mountie convicted of obstruction in the death of Dale Culver are calling for a stay of proceedings...
October 1, 2024
BC Assembly of First Nations Calls for the Recognition of First Nations Jurisdiction over Policing after RCMP Failure
NationTalk: (Lheidli T’enneh Territory, Prince George – The BCAFN is outraged by the abhorrent behaviour of RCMP officers in recent months and the lack of action taken by our federal and provincial elected officials responsible for oversight over our policing institutions. BCAFN is calling for immediate action to recognize First Nations jurisdiction over policing and the...
September 27, 2024
Family of man who died in RCMP chase say he’s not ‘just another dead Indian at the hands of the police’
Joseph Desjarlais is 3rd Indigenous man whose death involved Sask. police in less than a month Watch video: Family of man shot by police in Fishing Lake First Nation speaks Duration2:18 Saskatchewan’s police watchdog is investigating after a man died following an RCMP chase. Now, the family of Joseph Desjarlais is talking about their loss....
September 26, 2024
RCMP Officer Guilty Of Lying Under Oath Files Stay Of Proceedings In Dale Culver Case
NationTalk: Gitanyow Lax’yip – The Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs are outraged by the latest development in the case of Dale Culver, who died in RCMP custody seven years ago. After being found guilty of obstruction of justice this summer, Constable Arthur Dalman’s lawyers have filed a stay of proceedings, citing alleged breaches of his Charter Rights,...
September 24, 2024
B.C. man speaks out on wrongful arrest after watchdog slams RCMP conduct at Fairy Creek
Agency criticizes C-IRG unit’s ‘disproportionately intrusive’ methods, fears such conduct will recur CBC Indigenous: A British Columbia man is speaking out after the RCMP watchdog chastised a controversial unit for its “frequent unreasonable actions” at Fairy Creek in 2021. Brian Smallshaw, a web developer and historian from Salt Spring Island, said he suspected the force was...
September 17, 2024
16 First Nations join walk for Steve Dedam in Atlantic Canada
APTN News: One week after police shot and killed 34-year-old Steven Dedam in his community, members of Elsipogtog First Nation organized a walk to show their “disgust” for the RCMP. “Absolutely disgusted with the RCMP because this continues, it continues on – us dying in the hands of them,” said Teagan Copeage, a band councillor. The RCMP...
September 12, 2024
Family challenges RCMP statement after Mi’kmaw man shot and killed during wellness check
Elsipogtog team to assist RCMP on wellness checks not called until after shooting CBC Indigenous: The family of a Mi’kmaw man killed by police Sunday in Elsipogtog First Nation say officers used excessive force when they should have been trying to help him. Steven “Iggy” Dedam, a 34-year-old father and fisherman, was shot and killed by an RCMP officer during a wellness...
September 12, 2024
15 days and six Indigenous people have died when coming in contact with police across Canada
Family of ‘Iggy’ Dedam speaks out after he was shot and killed by RCMP. APTN News: Amber Joseph says when she arrived on the scene just after her brother Steven Dedam was shot by the RCMP, she was shocked. “When I came in they didn’t have compression on him,” she told APTN News. “He was...
September 11, 2024
Cellphone video shows last moments of Cree man’s life
Danny Knife was shot and killed by RCMP on Sept. 8. APTN News: Warning: This article describes an incident where a man is shot and killed. APTN News: A 32-second video sent to APTN News shows the last moments of Danny Knife’s life in Atahkakoop Cree Nation in northern Saskatchewan. The dramatic video, sent by...
September 10, 2024
ASIRT investigation into 2020 arrest of chief in Alberta still open
A photo released by Athabasca Chipewyan Chief Allan Adam after his arrest in 2020. It’s been four years since Athabasca Chipewyan Chief Allan Adam was tackled to the ground in a violent altercation with members of the Fort McMurray RCMP but the case is still open, according to Alberta’s police watchdog. Adam was at a...
September 9, 2024
RCMP officer in New Brunswick charged with aggravated assault
Christina Gillis says she was assaulted by an RCMP officer responding to a wellness check for her daughter. Photo: submitted. New Brunswick’s Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) says it’s charged an RCMP officer in the province with aggravated assault. According to SIRT, Corp. Andrew Whiteway was charged on Monday. SIRT investigates incidents that may have...
September 3, 2024
Samson Cree Nation councillor calls for resignations after teen killed in police shooting
APTN News: The Canadian Press – A band councillor with a First Nation in Alberta is calling on two RCMP officers to resign after the shooting death of a 15-year-old boy. Izaiah Swampy Omeasoo of Samson Cree Nation says in an online statement that members of his community are mourning the death of Hoss Lightning. Speaking on...
July 26, 2024
B.C. Mountie convicted of obstruction in case of Dale Culver
Dale Culver died in 2017 after an encounter with Prince George RCMP. Photo: APTN News APTN News: A B.C. RCMP officer has been found guilty of obstruction of justice in connection with the arrest that preceded the death of Dale Culver. Culver, who was Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en, died in Prince George RCMP custody in 2017....
July 24, 2024
Victims’ families lose bid to fight Pickton evidence destruction
APTN News: Family members of the victims of B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton are once again left disappointed in their fight for justice. They learned last week they were denied status at court proceedings on the B.C. RCMP’s plan to destroy evidence gathered during the investigation. Justice Frits Verhoeven of B.C. Supreme Court ruled against...
July 16, 2024
No answers for northern Manitoba family whose daughter died in RCMP custody in 2023
Police watchdog continues to investigate death of Janine Walker CBC Indigenous: A northern Manitoba father says his family still doesn’t have any answers to why or how his daughter died in RCMP custody last year. The investigation into Janine Walker’s death remains open, but Vernon Highway says he hasn’t even seen her autopsy report. Janine...
June 27, 2024
RCMP officer allegedly punched Mi’kmaw woman during wellness call
New Brunswick’s Serious Incident Response Team is investigating. APTN News: Christina Gillis says she was trying to get help for her daughter who, she believed, was in distress. On June 13, the mother called the Western Valley RCMP to request a “wellness check” on her daughter who lived in Richmond Corner, New Brunswick north of Fredericton. “She...
June 18, 2024
‘I Didn’t Want to Get Arrested’
A bystander testifies about being pressured by the RCMP to delete the video he took of the events following Dale Culver’s death. Amanda Follett Hosgood and Jen St. Denis TodayThe Tyee Amanda Follett Hosgood is The Tyee’s northern B.C. reporter. Jen St. Denis is a reporter with The Tyee covering civic issues. The Tyee: A Prince George resident...
June 14, 2024
Obstruction Trial Begins for Police Involved in Dale Culver’s Death
Officers allegedly told a bystander to delete cellphone footage. The judge ruled for the prosecution on a key piece of evidence. Amanda Follett Hosgood is The Tyee’s northern B.C. reporter. She lives in Wet’suwet’en territory. Find her on X @amandajfollett. The Tyee: Nearly seven years after her father died while being taken into police custody, Lily...
May 26, 2024
AFNQL Condemns the RCMP’s Cultural Appropriation with New “Ribbon Skirt”
NationTalk: WENDAKE, QC – The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) strongly condemns the recent announcement by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to include a “ribbon skirt” in its official uniform as part of its reconciliation, equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives. RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme announced this initiative via social media, stating that the...
May 24, 2024
B.C. First Nation wants removal of RCMP officer over ‘racist’ social media posts
Heiltsuk Chief Marilyn Slett answers questions during a press conference in Bella Bella, B.C., and calls for the suspension and removal of an RCMP officer for social media posts made before joining the Mounties. Photo by The Canadian Press/Chad Hipolito SUPPORT JOURNALISM THAT LIGHTS THE WAY THROUGH THE CLIMATE CRISIS BY JUNE 3 Goal: $100k...
May 15, 2024
Obstruction charge stayed for Prince George RCMP officer
Mountie was one of 5 officers charged in 2017 death of First Nations man in Prince George, B.C. CBC News: The Crown has stayed a criminal charge against an RCMP officer in Prince George, B.C., just three days before his obstruction of justice trial was set to begin. Const. Clarence (Alex) Alexander MacDonald was one of five RCMP...
May 14, 2024
Watchdog finds Mounties failed to properly investigate Indigenous woman’s death — twice
RCMP says it intends to apologize to the family for early missteps in the investigation CBC News: More than two decades after her body was found at the side of a road, the RCMP has agreed to apologize to an Indigenous woman’s family for failing to properly investigate her death. The apology follows a probe by the...
May 2, 2024
Why the RCMP Won’t Face Consequences for Dale Culver’s Death
Prosecutors made the ‘extremely rare’ move to consult an independent expert — one who’s been accused of bias. His report toppled the case. Amanda Follett Hosgood is The Tyee’s northern B.C. reporter. She lives in Wet’suwet’en territory. Find her on X @amandajfollett. The Tyee: On July 18, 2017, shortly after 10 p.m., Dale Culver lay face...
April 29, 2024
Leadership Council Joins Calls for Public Inquiry into RCMP Deaths of Indigenous Peoples After Charges Dropped Against Jared Lowndes’ Killers
NationTalk: (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh)/Vancouver, B.C.) The First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) is outraged that the RCMP continue evading charges for killing First Nations people, and is joining calls for a public inquiry into this crisis. On Tuesday April 23rd, the B.C. Prosecution Services (BCPS) announced that no charges had been approved...
April 26, 2024
BC’s Police Watchdog Wants to Know Why Officers Aren’t Being Charged
The government should review the BC Prosecution Service’s decisions in police cases, says investigation office head Ron MacDonald. The Tyee: The head of B.C.’s police watchdog wants the government to review the BC Prosecution Service’s handling of his office’s recommendations for criminal charges against officers. Ron MacDonald, the Independent Investigations Office of BC chief civilian...
April 17, 2024
In Vanderhoof, Women Are Increasingly Reluctant to Seek Help from the RCMP
Victims of domestic violence are often dismissed and sometimes met with police brutality, advocates say. Kerry Mercer remembers in vivid detail the day last November that police officers in Vanderhoof broke her leg. Mercer was returning from meeting her teenage son on the street between the home she had previously shared with her ex-husband and...
April 16, 2024
Monfwi MLA concerned ‘a lot of trust has been broken’ between RCMP and Indigenous women
NationTalk: NNSL – Monfwi MLA Jane Weyallon Armstrong is concerned that there is a growing rift between Indigenous women and members of the RCMP. “There’s not enough trust,” she told NNSL Media on April 9. “A lot of trust has been broken.” Weyallon Armstrong, who represents the four Tlicho communities of Behchoko, Whati, Gameti and...
April 11, 2024
New report slams RCMP treatment of homeless Indigenous women in Northwest Territories
The report was released by the Yellowknife Women’s Society Alessia Passafiume · The Canadian Press · Posted: Apr 11, 2024 5:37 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago The Globe and Mail: The Canadian Press – Homeless Indigenous women in the North do not feel well-protected by the RCMP and instead face violence and discrimination by police, a...
April 9, 2024
‘We’re not hearing anything’: Norway House Cree Nation frustrated after RCMP taser non-verbal 16 year old boy
‘Nobody really knows what’s going on except for what the police are releasing,’ says Joseph Brightnose. APTN News: Members of Norway House Cree Nation gathered at the local RCMP detachment and demanded answers as to why a non-verbal 16-year-old boy who uses a walker was tased. “He is a voiceless being. He can’t stand for himself, so...
April 8, 2024
Family of Dale Culver reacts to dropped charges against Mounties in manslaughter case
BC Prosecution has said there is not a reasonable likelihood of conviction for manslaughter charges Family members of Dale Culver say they are reeling after learning that two Mounties charged with manslaughter were stayed by Crown prosecutors in British Columbia. “I call on all our Indigenous leaders to say enough is enough,” Debbie Pierre told...
April 5, 2024
RCMP C-IRG unit announces new name, mandate amid federal investigation
Community-Industry Response Group became Critical Response Unit in January, Mounties say CBC Indigenous: Dogged for years by complaints, lawsuits, alleged civil and Indigenous rights violations and now an ongoing federal investigation, the RCMP’s Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG) officially has a new name and mandate. The outfit, originally tasked with policing protests against resource extraction in British...
April 2, 2024
Family of Dale Culver calling for action from the B.C. justice system
Continued delays in court cases against Mounties charged in Culver’s death Dale Culver’s family outside Prince George courthouse APTN News: The family of Arthur Culver, also known as Dale Culver, “remains unwavering” in its search for justice, despite years of waiting for justice said a statement released Thursday by the B.C. Civil Liberties Association. “We...
March 7, 2024
Vancouver police, First Nation ties have ‘broken down’ since settlement: review
By The Canadian Press Maxwell Johnson (right), with his granddaughter, was accused of fraud and handcuffed outside a Vancouver branch of the Bank of Montreal after using his status card as identification. Photo: APTN file APTN News: The Canadian Press – Vancouver’s police board and the Heiltsuk Nation both say they are committed to working together...
March 6, 2024
RCMP says body-worn cameras going ahead after Nunavut pilot project
The RCMP are proceeding with plans to equip officers in Nunavut with body-worn cameras despite low buy-in from the public. An RCMP officer shows a body-worn camera. Photo: RCMP APTN News: The RCMP are proceeding with plans to equip officers in Nunavut with body-worn cameras despite low buy-in from the public and Inuit, in particular....
February 1, 2024
No Justice Yet for Women Who Accused Prince George RCMP Officers of Assault
Nearly a year after BC announced an independent investigation, whistleblowers and complainants say they’ve heard nothing. Amanda Follett Hosgood TodayThe Tyee Amanda Follett Hosgood is The Tyee’s northern B.C. reporter. She lives in Wet’suwet’en territory. Find her on Twitter @amandajfollett. [Editor’s note: This piece contains descriptions of police violence and sexual violence.] The Tyee: Nearly a year...
January 19, 2024
Laughed about Beating a Land Defender
C-IRG’s silver commander apologized for the comments while testifying during a BC Supreme Court hearing. The Tyee: It was about 7 a.m. on his very first day with the RCMP’s Community-Industry Response Group when Supt. James Elliott received a call letting him know the Morice Forest Service Road had again been blocked as part of...
January 18, 2024
RCMP officers mocked people being arrested at Wet’suwet’en blockade as ‘orcs’ and ‘ogre’
Audio recordings played in court during abuse of process hearing Posted: Jan 17, 2024 7:52 PM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours ago Warning: this story contains distressing details. CBC News: RCMP officers referred to First Nations pipeline opponents as “orcs” and “ogre” during a police raid at a blockade of Coastal GasLink pipeline construction in November...
January 8, 2024
‘No other way’: Former Anishinaabe Mountie playing a role in Winnipeg landfill search
By Tamara Pimentel Jan 08, 2024 APTN News: At one time, Margorie Hudson was in RCMP advertisements in Manitoba to recruit Indigenous people into the Mounties. She was the first First Nations woman to serve in the RCMP in the province. “I loved wearing my uniform, I was proud to wear my uniform, but it was...
December 14, 2023
Supreme Court denies Canada’s appeal of class action certification against RCMP
Inuvialuit family calling Supreme Court decision on class action appeal a win. Joe David Nasogaluak is the lead plaintiff in a class action against the RCMP. Photo courtesy of the family. APTN News: The Supreme Court of Canada turned down a request from the federal government to appeal the certification of a class action lawsuit...
December 11, 2023
Amnesty International reports ‘ongoing violations’ of human rights on Wet’suwet’en territory
Group calls for halt to Coastal GasLink pipeline construction and use following 2023 research mission CBC Indigenous: Amnesty International is calling for an immediate halt to construction and use of the Coastal GasLink pipeline and the withdrawal of police and private security forces from Wet’suwet’en territory in northern B.C., citing what it considers ongoing human rights violations against...
December 7, 2023
RCMP under investigation after Indigenous woman’s body found within a kilometre of where she went missing
Body found almost a month after disappearance; IIO to determine if RCMP action, inaction contributed to death CBC News: British Columbia’s police oversight agency is determining whether police action or inaction contributed to the death of a woman from the Saik’uz First Nation, after it said her body was found on Nov. 5 within a kilometre of where she was last...
December 5, 2023
‘Spend as Much Lifting Our People Up as Pushing Them Down’
Adam Olsen is calling on BC to protect Indigenous people as thoroughly as it polices their opposition to resource development. The Tyee: BC Green Party MLA Adam Olsen is calling on B.C.’s minister of public safety to form a special policing unit dedicated to investigating the suspicious deaths and disappearances of First Nations people in...
November 24, 2023
Alternative exists to RCMP investigating historical claims of abuse, tribunal hears
Survivors in B.C. want an alternative to the RCMP when it comes to investigating claims of child abuse from residential and day schools. Former Immaculata Day School in Burns Lake, B.C. Photo: APTN file APTN News: A human rights tribunal heard Friday an alternative exists to RCMP in British Columbia investigating historical abuse complaints from...
November 24, 2023
‘Significant delays’ will impact completion of RCMP C-IRG probe, review agency says
Civilian Review and Complaints Commission says significant amount of material remains outstandin CBC Indigenous: The RCMP’s federal review agency says “significant delays” in obtaining relevant material from the Mounties will impact its investigation into the Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG), a special unit created to police civil disobedience against pipelines in British Columbia. The Civilian Review...
November 4, 2023
RCMP rejects majority of complaints it’s reviewed against B.C. unit that polices resource protests
86% of complaints reviewed so far from Fairy Creek protests have been dismissed by the force NationTalk: CBC News – Catherine McClarty still has nightmares about her arrest two years ago during an anti-logging protest on Vancouver Island and her experience with a controversial RCMP unit that’s been accused of improper use of force, neglect...
November 3, 2023
Saik’uz First Nation calls for help after 2 people disappear in matter of months
Jay Raphael and Chelsey Quaw have both gone missing from a small community along Highway of Tears CBC News: First Nations leaders are calling on the RCMP, media and the public to do more to help find two people who have gone missing from the Saik’uz First Nation over the past year. Jay Preston Raphael, 28, and Chelsey Amanda Quaw...
August 23, 2023
BC RCMP Officer Facing Manslaughter Trial Charged with Assault
Cst. Paul Ste-Marie, accused in the death of Dale Culver, has been moved to administrative duties. The Tyee: A Prince George RCMP officer is undergoing a code of conduct investigation after he was charged with assault this week — his second criminal charge this year. In February, Cst. Paul Ste-Marie was charged with manslaughter in the 2017 death...
August 14, 2023
RCMP watchdog concerned with delays in B.C. C-IRG probe
Civilian Review and Complaints Commission also announces hiring of Indigenous-led law firm in email update CBC News: The RCMP’s federal review agency recently hired an Indigenous-led law firm as concerns grow about delays in its probe of the Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG), a special unit created to police civil disobedience against pipelines in British Columbia. The watchdog, created to ensure complaints...
August 8, 2023
Former Saskatchewan RCMP boss warned officers to watch opinions after Stanley verdict
Colten Boushie in an undated photo. APTN News: The Canadian Press: The RCMP braced for backlash across rural Saskatchewan and kept a close eye on First Nations groups after the not-guilty verdict of a farmer charged in the death of Colten Boushie, emails show. The former top Mountie in the province also warned officers to watch their opinions,...
August 3, 2023
RCMP cited Standing Rock protests as ‘evidence’ to create controversial B.C. unit
Internal documents shine new light on founding of Community-Industry Response Group CBC News: RCMP used the anti-pipeline resistance at the Standing Rock reservation in 2016 to justify creating a unit in British Columbia to police similar opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, newly released documents show. Internal files, recently released to CBC News through access to information...
June 16, 2023
RCMP Removes Investigators from Tribunal Witness List
Officers conducting a ‘spinoff’ investigation into abuses at Immaculata Elementary School won’t appear at human rights hearings. [Editor’s note: This article contains stories about trauma and abuse. It may be triggering to some readers.] The Tyee: As the RCMP began looking into an allegation of historical sexual assault at Immaculata Elementary School in Burns Lake,...
June 6, 2023
Indigenous lawyer injured during central Alberta arrest alleges RCMP used ‘extreme force’
RCMP characterize driver and passenger, both women, as the aggressors CBC News: A Red Deer lawyer says she and her friend were beaten by an RCMP officer this past weekend after they were pulled over in a central Alberta town. Defence lawyer Laura Phypers, 37, suffered a concussion and broken nose after she was punched at least...
June 6, 2023
RCMP Officer Testifies about Mistakes in Burns Lake Investigation
‘I shouldn’t have done it,’ Cpl. Bill Larsen, then a rookie, said about asking sexual assault victim for a polygraph. The Tyee: Nearly 14 years ago, as Bill Larsen prepared for his first posting with the RCMP, he felt ambivalent. He was being sent to Burns Lake, a northern B.C. community of about 1,700 residents,...
May 26, 2023
RCMP apologize to dead Indigenous teen’s family, saying investigation was never closed
RCMP in Duncan, B.C., addressed rally for Carsyn Mackenzie Seaweed, saying case remains top priority CBC News: In an emotional address, RCMP in Duncan, B.C., located about 60 kilometres north of Victoria, publicly apologized to the family of 15-year-old Carsyn Mackenzie Seaweed on Friday — saying a miscommunication between police agencies resulted in incorrect information being released that the...
May 25, 2023
RCMP arrested Indigenous assault victim instead of taking her to hospital, inquest hears
B.C.’s police watchdog cleared officers of wrongdoing in 2017 death of Nadine Solonas in Quesnel WARNING: This story contains graphic details of an assault. CBC News: RCMP responding to a 911 call about an assault on an Indigenous woman arrested the victim and took her to the local detachment in handcuffs instead of taking her to hospital,...
May 24, 2023
Over the DOJ’s Objections, an Expert Witness Testifies about the RCMP
Officers should have been aware of Indigenous people’s historical mistrust of the force, law professor David Milward told the tribunal The Tyee: An expert witness testifying Tuesday at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal hearing into the RCMP’s investigation of historic abuse at two northern B.C. schools said it’s likely investigating officers were aware of Indigenous...
May 23, 2023
RCMP Lawyers Suggest a Journalist Planted Memories in Burns Lake
Repeatedly, witnesses were asked if they’d written their own affidavits. They kept saying they just wanted to be heard and believed. The Tyee: “Peace”. That was one witness’s simple request when asked what she hoped to gain from the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal currently examining potential bias by the RCMP when it investigated allegations of...
May 23, 2023
The Mounties: 150 years of conflict with Indigenous Peoples
The symbol of the Canadian frontier is tarnished as it celebrates latest milestone CBC News: Jean Teillet remembers the day she and a couple of friends planned to snag the rope that hanged Louis Riel from its display in Toronto’s fake castle, Casa Loma. “We were going to liberate the rope that the Royal Canadian...
May 22, 2023
‘On the inside’: Why some Indigenous officers stick with the RCMP despite struggles
The Mounties are struggling to recruit and retain Indigenous members Stephanie Taylor · The Canadian Press · Posted: May 22, 2023 12:52 PM EDT | Last Updated: May 22 CBC News: Canadian Press – Dean Gladue says he never experienced racism until joining the RCMP. The 26-year veteran began his career with the force in 1989 as special constable,...
May 18, 2023
Burns Lake Witnesses Describe Mysterious Visits from the RCMP
Two people say they were contacted for the first time in a decade-old investigation, weeks before testifying at a human rights tribunal. Amanda Follett Hosgood 18 May 2023The Tyee Amanda Follett Hosgood is The Tyee’s northern B.C. reporter. She lives in Wet’suwet’en territory. Find her on Twitter @amandajfollett The Tyee: Witnesses testifying on behalf of First Nations...
May 3, 2023
‘She Was Ready to Testify’
Indigenous day school survivors who died before they got a chance to testify were remembered as a human rights tribunal gets underway in Burns Lake. Amanda Follett Hosgood is The Tyee’s northern B.C. reporter. She lives in Wet’suwet’en territory. Find her on Twitter @amandajfollett. The Tyee: As a child attending Immaculata Elementary School in Burns Lake,...
May 2, 2023
Security videos that show RCMP punching Indigenous men in Thompson point to tense relationship
Videos call to question relationship between RCMP and Thompson residents WARNING: This story includes graphic images and details of violent encounters with police. CBC News: It’s just after 6 p.m. on a June 2019 evening in the northern Manitoba city of Thompson. The sun is still up, and RCMP officers have been called to a...
May 1, 2023
Human Rights Tribunal Hearings Start Today in Burns Lake
Here’s why we can’t publish the name of the powerful figure at the centre of this inquiry into the RCMP’s handling of abuse allegations. The Tyee: Today, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal embarks on what will be the first day of weeks of testimony examining the RCMP’s handling of abuse allegations at Indigenous day schools...
April 19, 2023
Inuk mother says daughter’s run in with Yukon RCMP left her hospitalized
APTN: The mother of a 17-year-old Inuk-Dene girl says an altercation with Yukon RCMP left her hospitalized and in need of surgery. “It’s heartbreaking. As a parent, you put trust in public servants and you trust them with your livelihood, with your children, and I feel like it’s failed,” said Briann Gagnon, the girl’s mother....
March 29, 2023
B.C. RCMP make arrests at pipeline protest site following alleged ‘swarming incidents’
5 people arrested for ‘obstruction of a police officer’ CBC News: Five people were arrested at a camp on traditional Wet’suwet’en territory in northwestern B.C. on Wednesday. Sleydo’, a spokesperson for the Gidimt’en checkpoint, said Mounties in multiple police vehicles arrived at the checkpoint around 10:30 a.m. PT, though she was not on site when...
March 14, 2023
Delayed Court Hearings for RCMP Officers Charged with Manslaughter
Dale Culver died in 2017 in police custody. His family says the legal process has been ‘horrendous’ but they’ll keep fighting for justice. The Tyee: A family’s fight for justice has been further delayed as hearings set to begin today in a Prince George courtroom were postponed at the last minute. At a news conference...
March 11, 2023
The B.C. solicitor general ordered a probe of alleged RCMP misconduct in Prince George. Here’s why Indigenous leaders say it’s flawed.
B.C. officials declined to comment on First Nations’ concerns, citing the “active investigation.” Toronto Star: B.C. First Nations leaders are demanding Indigenous representation in a probe of longstanding allegations RCMP officers sexually harassed and abused Indigenous teenagers and then covered it up. The external investigation comes after the Star revealed in Novemberthat the RCMP watchdog agency,...
March 10, 2023
Documents Reveal ‘Rural Policing’ Money Is Going to the RCMP’s Community – Industry Response Group (C-IRG)
An RCMP unit under investigation by a federal commissioner will receive 15 per cent of the funding promised for safer communities. The Tyee: A portion of the $230 million promised last fall by the BC NDP to bolster rural police detachments and make communities safer is earmarked for a controversial RCMP unit tasked with policing...
March 9, 2023
Watchdog opens probe into RCMP unit that polices resource standoffs in B.C.
Terms of reference in Community-Industry Response Group ‘systemic investigation’ announced CBC News: The RCMP’s federal watchdog agency is opening a probe into the activities and operations of the Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG), a special unit that polices protests against resource extraction in British Columbia. The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC), which receives and oversees...
February 24, 2023
B.C. orders probe into allegations RCMP dropped ball investigating abuse of Indigenous girls in Prince George
Province launching ‘out-of-jurisdiction’ investigation into allegations report says went largely ignored CBC News: The provincial government has ordered an external investigation after an independent report found the RCMP failed to properly investigate what one officer described as potentially “egregious” allegations that Mounties had abused and harassed Indigenous girls in Prince George, B.C., decades ago. A statement on Thursday confirmed the...
February 9, 2023
RCMP reveals which provinces’ Mounties did least amount of mandatory anti-racism training
The RCMP told the Star previously that more than 50 per cent of its workforce had taken the course; it turns out the actual number is 51.6 per cent. Toronto Star: More than a year after committing to have each RCMP officer and employee take anti-racism training, the Mounties have revealed the full extent of...
February 1, 2023
5 Prince George Mounties charged in death of Indigenous man
4 of the 5 officers remain on active duty, according to RCMP CBC News: Two RCMP officers in Prince George, B.C., have been charged with manslaughter in connection with the 2017 death of an Indigenous man, Crown prosecutors announced Wednesday. Another three have been charged with attempting to obstruct justice related to the events immediately...
January 25, 2023
RCMP misses deadline for employees to complete mandatory anti-racism training
The 3-hour online course “Uniting Against Racism” was introduced as part of the Vision 150 program brought in by Brenda Lucki when she took over. Toronto Star: The Mounties have acknowledged their ongoing problems with systemic racism and discrimination. They have touted their action plan for dealing with those problems. But the RCMP has, so...
January 9, 2023
RCMP has spent nearly $50M on policing pipeline, logging standoffs in B.C.
Cash for operations on 3 resource projects flowed through Community-Industry Response Group CBC News · Posted: Jan 06, 2023 1:59 PM ET | Last Updated: January 6 CBC News: An RCMP squad charged with policing resistance to resource extraction in British Columbia spent nearly $50 million enforcing injunctions obtained by the petroleum and forestry sectors in its first...
January 4, 2023
‘I didn’t know what racism was until I joined’: The RCMP has a systemic problem. But what is being done?
That the Mounties have a systemic problem with racism and harassment is not in question. What’s less clear is what’s being done about it. Toronto Star: This is the second part in a special Star series looking at Canada’s national police force and what some say are the existential challenges it is facing. For three...
November 6, 2022
A video allegedly showed an RCMP officer sexually harassing an Indigenous teen. Then it went missing. Inside allegations of misconduct and cover-up in Canada’s national police force
The officer, now retired, previously denied any misconduct. He did not respond to the Star’s questions about the alleged tapes. Toronto Star: RCMP Const. Lisa Mackenzie was on patrol in her squad car in Kamloops, B.C., when she got a call from her watch supervisor. He said her ex-husband, fellow RCMP Const. Joseph Kohut, had...
September 7, 2022
Calls fo Action after Haida elder killed by police after calling them for help
The BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA), Pivot Legal Society, #Justice for Jared, The Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) and the family of Haida Elder Jimmie Johannesson announce calls to action five months after Surrey RCMP Fatality NationTalk: (Unceded territories of the Semiahmoo, Katzie, Kwikwetlem, Kwantlen, Stz’uminus, Sto:lo, and Tsawwassen First Nations/Surrey, B.C. – September...
April 28, 2022
Racism in the North: RCMP, national Inuit organization agree on reconciliation plan
Globe and Mail: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and a national representative Inuit organization have agreed on a plan to improve the relationship between the police force and Inuit communities. The Mounties and the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), a non-profit organization in Canada that represents more than 65,000 Inuit across Inuit Nunangat and the rest...
February 8, 2022
Spying on Indigenous activists
Chairperson of the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police press release: In 2021, the CRCC’s findings and recommendations led the RCMP to take significant remedial steps, including: Updating policies and procedures for response to mental health crises and wellness checks (summary numbers 21-282, 21-283). Creating a national sexual assault investigation...
January 14, 2022
Spying on Indigenous activists: BC Civil Liberties Association wins
Union of BC Indian Chiefs – UBCIC congratulates the BC Civil Liberties Association on winning their precedent-setting lawsuit, which resulted in the Federal Court of Canada’s decision that RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki violated her statutory obligations by failing to respond to investigations into claims of Mountie misconduct. This case marks the first time the court...
October 29, 2021
Attack on Chief Adams
Government of Alberta – Alberta’s government hired PwC Canada in October 2020 to study the feasibility of replacing the RCMP in Alberta with a provincial police service. The policing model presented by PwC proposes innovative approaches to service delivery and governance that have the potential to better address the root causes of crime through built-in...
June 23, 2021
Racism In the North: Class Action lawsuit
Canadian Press – A lawsuit alleging RCMP systematically brutalized Indigenous people in Northern Canada can proceed as a class action despite objections from the government, Federal Court ruled on Wednesday. In her decision, Judge Glennys McVeigh rejected the government’s arguments that the proposed suit failed to meet the legal grounds for certification although individuals could...
May 11, 2021
Death of Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations mother
On May 8th, a Tla-o-qui-aht mother of two was shot by the RCMP after they responded to a call for help. The Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation and the First Nations Leadership Council are calling for an immediate, transparent and transformative response which includes the Tla-o-qui-aht community at every step of the way… this is the third...
April 1, 2021
Spying on Indigenous activists: RCMP delay in responding
In its written submissions, the BCCLA argues the RCMP Commissioner’s extreme delay in responding breached her obligations under the RCMP Act and violated the BCCLA’s Charter right to freedom of expression. The BCCLA also argues that delays have plagued the complaints system for over a decade and it is time to hold the RCMP to...
March 24, 2021
Investigation into death of Colten Bushie: RCMP progress on implementing recommendations
Public Safety Canada – Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, issued a statement indicating that The Commissioner of the RCMP has implemented 16 of the recommendations, and is on track to fully implement all of them by April 2021. All employees of the Saskatchewan RCMP will have completed a mandatory Cultural Awareness...
March 24, 2021
Investigation into death of Colten Bushie: First Nations and mayors’ group statement
CBC – First Nations chiefs and mayors in the Saskatchewan region where Colten Boushie was killed in 2016 say more needs to be done to combat racism. Following the release this week of an RCMP watchdog report into the shooting death of the 22-year-old Red Pheasant Cree Nation man, they’ve issued a group statement vowing...
March 23, 2021
Investigation into death of Colten Bushie: CRCC report criticizes RCMP
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs – The AMC expresses outrage at the information in the report by the CRCC into RMCP conduct in the killing of Colten Boushie. The report advised that Ms. Baptiste, as a First Nation woman, was racially discriminated against by RCMP members when they came to notify her of her son’s murder…These...
March 22, 2021
Investigation into death of Colten Boushie: CRCC Report into RCMP investigation
RCMP’s Civilian Review and Complaints Commission – released the CRCC’s report that made 47 findings and 17 recommendations to address the deficiencies identified in the RCMP’s investigation and interactions with Colten Boushie’s family after his death in 2016. Some issues were of significant concern, like the failure to protect the vehicle Mr. Boushie was sitting...
February 16, 2021
RCMP Cultural Training Criticism
Toronto Star – A mandatory online training program called “Cultural Awareness and Humility” that was rolled our last fall for all RCMP members and touted by the commissioner as an example of the force’s efforts to modernize misses the mark on many levels according to experts who have reviewed the program for the Star, including:...
January 27, 2021
RCMP Cultural Training Criticism
NationTalk – RCMP reconciliation efforts aim to improve community safety and well-being, to enhance investigative standards, and to deliver the highest quality policing services. Efforts are also implemented within the organization to support the over 1,900 Indigenous employees of the RCMP and to inspire a culturally engaged, trauma-informed workforce....
December 29, 2020
RCMP Cultural Training Criticism: Vision150
Vision150 is our plan to modernize the RCMP. Our vision responds to the expectations set out in the Commissioner’s 2018 mandate letter and forms the core of our strategic direction. Vision 150 Tracker tracks progress on four themes: People, Culture, Stewardship and Policing Culture. Tracking Progress for Policing Services: All the following are ON TRACK...
December 3, 2020
Attack on Chief Adams
Government of Alberta – has issued an online survey that is part of the province’s review of the Police Act. The questionnaire covers several topics related to law enforcement, such as the role of police in community, processes for handling complaints from the public and officer discipline. Throughout the fall, the Alberta government has met...
December 3, 2020
Racism in Nunavut: No charges laid
Global News – No charges will be laid against the RCMP officer who hit an inebriated Inuit man with the door of his moving truck. The Ottawa Police Service, which conducted a criminal investigation into the takedown, ruled the arrest was “lawful” and the officer hit the man with his truck unintentionally. The RCMP’s internal...
November 12, 2020
Indigenous Protests: CRCC Final Report on shale gas exploration protests in NB
The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission of the RCMP – issued its Final Report on the RCMP’s actions in managing Indigenous protests over shale-gas exploration by SWN Resources Canada in New Brunswick in 2013. After reviewing the RCMP’s response to the interim report’s findings on the 21 specific complaints, the CRCC Chairperson noted “with concern, however,...
November 10, 2020
Spying on Indigenous activists
BC Civil Liberties Association – BCCLA is launching a lawsuit against RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki “for inexcusable delays preventing the release of a civilian watchdog report into RCMP spying on Indigenous and climate advocates”. “In February 2014, the BCCLA filed a complaint against the RCMP contending it illegally spied on the democratic activities of organizations...
November 9, 2020
Denial of medical access
CBC – Genesta Garson a 19-year-old member of Tataskweyak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba “was knocked unconscious at an RCMP detachment in Thompson, Man., and despite the act being caught on video, no formal investigation was launched. She was picked up on suspicion of being intoxicated by two community safety officers. During a disputed altercation,...
October 27, 2020
RCMP Cultural Training Criticism: AFN expectations
Perry Bellegarde, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations listed the following expectations First Nations chiefs have of the federal government in the wake of multiple incidents across Canada where Indigenous peoples were put at risk due to the actions and inactions of the RCMP. Civilian oversight with genuine disciplinary powers The Minister of...
October 26, 2020
Racism in Nunavut: Bill 53
Bill 53, an Act to Amend the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Agreement Act, received its first reading in the legislative assembly on Thursday, Oct. 22. The new bill adds provisions to allow independent investigations to look into police-involved civilian injuries or deaths in the territory and the terms to create such a body. As it...
October 15, 2020
Arrests of Wet’suwet’en Water protectors
Coastal GasLink called in the RCMP to remove a group of Wet’suwet’en women and community members who are holding ceremony at a proposed drill site for Coastal Gaslink’s pipeline. Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) – UBCIC stands in solidarity with the Indigenous land defenders who are protecting the Wedzin Kwa, the river that sustains...
August 18, 2020
Racism in Nunavut: CCRC complaint into conduct of RCMP
RCMP Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CCRC) – Chairperson of the RCMP CCRC has initiated a complaint into the conduct of RCMP members involved in an incident in Nunavut. RCMP appointed the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) to investigate and determine whether criminal charges should be laid. In addition, an RCMP internal Code of Conduct investigation...
July 7, 2020
Racism in Nunavut: Roundtable discussion
Nunatsiaq News – Nunavut Senator Dennis Patterson convened a roundtable meeting on June 19 to discuss the issue with more than 30 others. Among those in attendance were representatives of both the federal and territorial governments, Inuit organizations, Nunavut’s RCMP Chief Superintendent Amanda Jones and numerous other RCMP and regional police representatives. The meeting was...
June 25, 2020
Attack on Chief Adams
Edmonton Journal – Charges against Chief Allan Adams have been dropped after release of police dashcam footage showing an RCMP officer tackling him to the ground and striking his head in March...
June 11, 2020
Attack on Chief Adams
Toronto Star – A day after the Alberta RCMP deputy commissioner denied there is systemic racism in policing in Canada, new video of the arrest of a high-profile First Nation chief threw fuel on the fire of what is quickly becoming a roaring issue in this country. Athabasca Chipewyan First Nations Chief Allan Adam was...
June 10, 2020
Attack on Chief Adams
Native Alberta News – The Tŝilhqot’in Nation is urging Canada to take action to address systemic racism, particularly between First Nations and the RCMP and is calling to reform and remodel training for the RCMP to include better First Nation awareness. The RCMP seem to: lack an understanding of Indigenous peoples fail to understand our...
June 5, 2020
Racism in Nunavut: QIT calls for end to systemic racism at the hands of RCMP
The Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) echoes the voices of Inuit across Nunavut to call for an end to systemic violence at the hands of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). We are disappointed to see that discriminatory attitudes and practices captured in the Qikiqtani Truth Commission report continue to plague our communities today. QIA joins...
November 19, 2019
RCMP Investigation into death of Inuit woman
The Nunatsiavut Government – is calling for an independent police investigation into the death of a 23-year-old Inuk woman whose body was removed from a makeshift tent in a wooded area of Happy Valley-Goose Bay during the early morning hours of November 15. “We have reason to believe the RCMP made assumptions as to the...
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