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The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have directed the case of an arrest in Sheshatshiu to the province’s police oversight agency, the Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT-NL), following criticism from members of the public over use of force.
“We are not able to provide any additional information while that process is underway,” reads a statement from the police force issued Thursday, the day after a protest at the RCMP detachment in the Labrador First Nation community.
Community members came out to await the release of a man arrested the night before. A video of that arrest, at a home in Sheshatshiu, was made by the man’s girlfriend. The video prompted allegations from community members that the police officers used excessive force.
SIRT-NL is governed by provincial legislation and the agency is not automatically required to investigate. The director has options for how they may respond to a serious incident, including referring the matter to the RCMP’s own complaints process.
CBC reached out to SIRT-NL but, as of Thursday evening, has yet to receive a response.
The RCMP said it held a meeting with Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation Chief Eugene Hart and Innu Nation Grand Chief Jodie Ashini on Wednesday evening after the protest.
The RCMP, “will continue to engage directly with the community in these important conversations,” the statement said.
Innu Nation asks for officers to be placed on admin duties
Also on Thursday, Innu Nation leadership issued a press release saying Hart and Ashini and others met with Labrador RCMP Insp. Danny Williams. In the meeting, the release states, the Innu leadership asked two of the three officers involved in the arrest be transferred out of the community. They asked both men not be permitted to work in Sheshatshiu or Natuashish again.
They have since asked that both officers be placed on administrative duties, pending an investigation of the incident.
Innu leadership are also calling for the provincial and federal governments to take action needed to allow for the Innu to establish their own police service — a call they have made before.
Innu Nation says that current provincial policing legislation doesn’t allow for the establishment of a police service outside of the existing policing in the province by the RCMP and Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. A change to the provincial legislation, making a new structure possible, is needed to allow access to funding through the federal First Nations and Inuit Policing Program. That would allow a start to building the new service, according to the statement.
A video of an arrest in Sheshatshiu has prompted Innu leadership to call for change. They say the video — which is circulating on social media — shows police using excessive force during that arrest. The CBC’s Regan Burden has more, but first a warning, this story shows violence and people in distress.
Innu leaders say the federal government’s attention is needed as well, to quickly come to a police service agreement.
Apart from the legislation, the Innu Nation stated the province has a working group to review the province’s policing legislation and “the province has not yet confirmed that the Innu will be involved in this review.”
Leaders say they are set to meet again with Williams next Wednesday.
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