In 2020, New Brunswick police fatally shot two Indigenous people, prompting protests
The recent fatal shooting of an Indigenous man by a New Brunswick Mountie offers a chilling reminder of two separate incidents in 2020 when police officers in the province fatally shot Indigenous people in distress.
On the night of June 12, 2020, RCMP officers in eastern New Brunswick responded to a complaint about an "unwanted person" at a home near Metepenagiag.
At the time, the Mounties said the man was carrying knives and there were several failed bids to subdue him with a stun gun. That's when 48-year-old Rodney Levi was fatally shot by an officer.
Police were told Levi was attending a barbecue, where he had planned to seek guidance from a church minister. He was described as a troubled man with mental health challenges.
On June 4, 2020, 26-year-old Chantel Moore was shot by an officer with the Edmundston Police Department who was conducting a wellness check. Police said Moore, who was from a First Nation in British Columbia, was carrying a knife when she was shot.
Indigenous leaders in New Brunswick repeatedly called for an Indigenous-led inquiry into systemic racism in the province, but the provincial government rejected the request.
Investigators with Quebec's police watchdog -- Bureau des enquetes independantes -- concluded Moore was shot after she approached the officer with a knife in her hand.
As well, a four-day coroner's inquest recommended in May 2022 that police take steps to improve their relationship with First Nations, such as cultural sensitivity training. It also called for an independent group to review the use-of-force policy that guides New Brunswick police.
In Levi's case, a coroner's jury called for the reinstatement of the Indigenous band constable program and for detox centres and more mental health services to be located in First Nation communities. They also recommend that RCMP officers be on standby, not first responders, during wellness checks.
Levi's death was also investigated by Quebec's police watchdog, and New Brunswick prosecutors determined the officers on the scene believed Levi was using force against them and were justified in killing him.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.
For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada adds fewer jobs than expected in October, wages rise
Canada added lower-than-expected 14,500 jobs in October and wages of permanent employees rose, data showed on Friday, as the economy grappled to absorb the slack built up due to a rapidly rising population amid an overheated market.
Time limits were meant to speed up justice. They also halt hundreds of criminal cases
Supporters say the so-called Jordan ruling has sped up proceedings and strengthened Charter rights for prompt justice. But the legacy of Jordan is mixed, and some victims say the time limits work in criminals' favour.
Oven to be removed from Halifax store where employee died: Walmart
Walmart says a large bakery oven will be removed from the Halifax store where an employee died last month.
Prince William describes family's 'brutal' year as wife and father faced cancer treatment
Prince William has described the past year as "brutal" following cancer diagnoses for his wife and father. "Honestly, it's been dreadful," he said.
N.S. school apologizes for asking service members not to wear uniforms at Remembrance Day ceremony
An elementary school in the Halifax area has backed away from a request that service members not wear uniforms to the school's Remembrance Day ceremony.
Three charged in One Direction singer Liam Payne's death
Three people have been charged in relation to One Direction singer Liam Payne's death in a fall from his Buenos Aires hotel balcony last month, Argentine authorities said on Thursday.
National rent prices decline year-over-year for first time since pandemic: report
Average asking rents declined nationally on a year-over-year basis for the first time in more than three years in October, said a report out Thursday.
Another beluga whale dies at Marineland, Ontario says water quality is 'acceptable'
Three weeks after the death of another beluga whale at Marineland, the Ontario government is speaking publicly about its ongoing investigation of the park, saying water troubles are under control after a recent investment.
Sparks fly as MPs question minister on pension implications of proposed election date change
Sparks flew at a parliamentary committee Thursday as MPs questioned Canada's democratic institutions minister about a widely opposed provision in electoral reform legislation that seeks to delay the next fixed election date by one week.