The six chiefs of New Brunswick‘s Wolastoqey Nation are calling for an inquiry into the recent fatal shooting of an Indigenous man by a Mountie conducting a wellness check.
The chiefs issued a statement today saying they have joined with Mi’kmaq chiefs in calling for an inquiry into systemic racism within the justice system.
The Wolastoqey chiefs say they are concerned that interactions between Indigenous people and law enforcement “too frequently” end in violence or death, noting the fatal police shootings of 48-year-old Rodney Levi and 26-year-old Chantel Moore in 2020.
They are calling for Indigenous representation on the independent police oversight agency known as the Serious Incident Response Team, which is investigating the latest shooting.
They are also asking for transparency in the process, which they say must include providing First Nations with regular updates, community meetings and action focused on healing.
RCMP have confirmed two officers were sent Sunday to the Elsipogtog First Nation in eastern New Brunswick where they confronted an armed man in mental distress in his home. After failing to subdue him with a stun gun, one of the officers shot the man with his gun, killing him.
“The six chiefs of the Wolastoqey Nation grieve alongside community members of Elsipogtog First Nation following the shooting death of Steve “Iggy” Dedam during a wellness check by the RCMP,” the chiefs’ statement said.
“Our chiefs will continue to speak out against systemic racism within the justice system as we have unfortunately had to do for too long without meaningful government action.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
