TORONTO — A national Indigenous organization is calling on Canadian police forces to make "fundamental changes" to end brutality against members of racialized groups in the country.
The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples says the case of Tyre Nichols, a Black man who was brutally beaten by police during a traffic stop earlier this month in the Memphis, Tenn., and later died, is a reminder of the systemic police brutality in both the United States and Canada.
National Chief Elmer St. Pierre says racism and discrimination are the roots of police brutality against racialized people.
He says police officers should learn how de-escalate tense situations rather than using violence.
Last week, several Canadian police chiefs condemned the death of Nichols and said the officers involved must be held accountable.
The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples says all Canadian police forces need to "acknowledge the wrongs of the past" – there have been several notable cases of police brutality against members of Indigenous, Black and racialized communities in Canada in recent years.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2023.
The Canadian Press
