WETASKIWIN, Alta. – A band councillor with an Alberta First Nation 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 behalf of Hoss’s family, he says the presence of the officers poses a “serious danger” to people living near Maskwacis, south of Edmonton.
He also called for police reform, Indigenous-focused de-escalation training and greater access to mental health support funding.
“We must … come together to stand up against the injustice Indigenous Peoples face (and) the justice Hoss Lightning deserves,” Swampy Omeasoo said.
Wetaskiwin RCMP said they received a report Friday about a boy who had called 911 and told a dispatcher he was being followed by people trying to kill him. About an hour later, police said officers found the teen with several weapons, which they confiscated.
Police said a confrontation then led to two officers shooting the boy, who later died in hospital.
RCMP did not identify the teen but offered condolences to his family and loved ones.
On Tuesday, RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Gina Slaney directed questions about the officers and the shooting to Alberta’s police watchdog, which is investigating.
An official with the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team did not provide further details but said an update was forthcoming.
Swampy Omeasoo said Hoss must have felt scared and alone when he was shot.
A candlelight vigil honouring the boy is to be held once family members have taken the time to mourn, he said.
Opposition NDP legislature members Brooks Arcand-Paul and Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse, who are Indigenous, issued a joint statement calling for a thorough investigation and a commitment to structural police reform.
They said the teen “began his spirit walk far too young” and called his death a terrible loss to the community.
“We reiterate the need for a comprehensive approach to fixing the structural problems with policing in this province,” their statement said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2024.
— By Aaron Sousa in Edmonton
