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.
The Canadian Press
