‘Policing in Nunavik is broken': Inuit group wants change after latest fatal shooting
MONTREAL – The political organization that represents Inuit in Quebec says policing in the Far North is 'broken' after an officer shot and killed an Inuk man on Tuesday.
The shooting by the Nunavik Police Service is the second officer-involved death in the northern region since November.
Makivvik, a group that represents the Inuit of Nunavik, says there is a pattern of police using excessive force in the region.
In a news release, Makivvik head Pita Aatami asked how many families must suffer before the province 'understands that policing in Nunavik is broken?'
The organization says the latest death reflects a failure of the police force to de-escalate a situation or employ a level of cultural understanding.
Winnipeg Jets Game Days
On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.
In November 2024, an officer shot and killed Joshua Papigatuk and seriously injured his twin brother Garnet after police responded to a call about alleged impaired driving in Salluit, about 1,850 kilometres north of Montreal.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 9, 2025.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
20 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Teen accused in Brandon high school sword attack planned to hurt others, police chief says
The 16-year-old accused of seriously assaulting another student with a sword at a Brandon high school Tuesday was planning to attack more victims, police say. Brandon Police Service Chief Tyler Bates released new details Wednesday morning of the sword attack at Neelin High School. The motive behind the attack remains unclear, Bates told a news conference. TIM SMITH / THE BRANDON SUN Brandon Police Service Chief Tyler Bates said today that police don't yet know where the teen got the sword or whether he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 'It's clear that the suspect had malicious intentions and our officers' intervention on this day prevented further bloodshed,' said Bates. 'We know that certainly the harms that were intended were beyond the individual victim involved.' The 15-year-old victim remains in stable condition in hospital with stab wounds to his chest, thighs, forearms and hands. The accused teen, who is in custody, is facing charges of attempted murder, uttering threats, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and disguise with intent. The disguise with intent charge suggests the teen tried to conceal his identity, but Bates said he could not reveal those details. The 16-year-old appeared in a Brandon courtroom Wednesday morning. Bates said police don't yet know where the teen got the sword or whether he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 'Clearly the actions are deranged,' he said in response to a question about whether mental illness is suspected as a factor. 'In terms of the medical situation involving the youth involved, that will be something that will be further assessed. We need to understand and know why and dissect what contributed to this so we can prevent future incidents of this nature.' Brandon police responded to a call from a Neelin student who said, 'a male is going crazy and holding a sword' at 1:15 p.m. Tuesday. The response was led by a BPS school resource officer, who got to the school within three minutes, Bates said Wednesday. Officers found the teen several minutes later and used a Taser electroshock weapon during the arrest, while other police gave the victim emergency first aid. 'Their heroic actions directly prevented further harm,' Bates said. School officials took immediate emergency action to protect students. 'Were it not for those lockdown procedures and the safe securing of the students that were in harm's way, (and) the staff that were in harm's way, for that matter, we would be having a very different discussion today,' the police chief said. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The school resource officer had no prior interactions with the student accused in the attack, said Bates, adding police are thinking of the young victim and his family as 'he recovers from this senseless act of violence.' 'A school should always be a place of safety, a place to learn, grow and thrive,' he said. Mathew Gustafson, superintendent of the Brandon School Division, said he's concerned for the well being of students, their families and staff at the high school after the attack. 'We have a crisis response team in place, but our support will not only be for today, but will be ongoing into the future,' said Gustafson. Erik PinderaReporter Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Erik. Every piece of reporting Erik produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Teen injured in sword attack at Brandon high school
BRANDON — A 16-year-old male was taken into custody in relation to a sword attack at Neelin High School Tuesday afternoon that prompted a lockdown of the building. A 15-year-old male student was rushed to the Brandon Regional Health Centre in serious condition after suffering injuries to his chest, forearms, hands and thighs, police said. He was later upgraded to stable condition. Brandon Police Service Insp. Jason Dupuis said the victim's 'injuries were significant and serious.' Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Brandon Police Service vehicles sit in front of École Secondaire Neelin High School on Tuesday after Brandon Police responded to an incident at the school after a student was allegedly seriously injured with a sword. The school was placed into a lockdown and students were released to the custody of parents of parents, relatives and guardians. Dupuis told a news conference police responded to a call from a Neelin student who said, 'a male is going crazy and holding a sword' at 1:15 p.m. Police arrived at the school within minutes later and found the suspect at 1:22 p.m., Dupuis said. Officers used a Taser on him during the arrest. Police Chief Tyler Bates said police didn't believe there were any other victims. A post by the Brandon School Division Tuesday afternoon noted that the lockdown had been implemented 'due to an intruder in the building with a weapon.' BPS officers and cadets stood at the entrances surrounding the school when the Sun arrived before 3 p.m., and parents were lined up outside the gymnasium to pick up their children, with many students walking out of the school holding hands with their parents, giving them hugs and crying. 'I saw him chasing one of our students with a sword, then I ran to class,' said Fathia, who didn't want to give her last name. 'I was just scared, that's all,' she said through tears while standing next to her mom, who had picked her up from the school. Another student described what happened after the attack started. 'All I know is all of a sudden, doors were slamming and we got told to sit in the corner and our teacher directed us to turn the lights off, sit in the corner and pretty much be quiet,' said Jordan-Blayne Bjornsson. 'We were definitely all scared, 'cause we didn't know exactly what was happening,' the Grade 12 student said. 'None of us felt very good and I know there were a lot of people crying.' Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. She said police escorted students to the gymnasium after a while. 'People were panicked, people were sad,' said Bjornsson. 'I think a lot of people were just scared and they didn't know what happened. Police didn't say whether the victim and suspect knew each other. More information would be released Wednesday, he said. 'Our investigators will be hard at work throughout the night,' said Bates. 'We really wanted to get out and at least provide some information to citizens of Brandon, to alleviate angst and concern they would understandably have.' — Brandon Sun
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Wander Franco's attorney to ask court to exonerate his client in sexual abuse case
PUERTO LA PLATA, Dominican Republic (AP) — The attorney for Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco said Monday he will ask the court to exonerate his client of all charges in a sexual abuse case involving a girl who was 14 years old at the time of the alleged crimes. Franco, who was charged in July 2024 and is on supervised release, could face up to 30 years in prison if found guilty. 'He didn't commit the acts he's accused of,' Teodosio Jáquez told The Associated Press at the end of the fourth hearing at the Collegiate Court of Puerto Plata, a tourist city in northern Dominican Republic where the girl is from. 'They're playing their part, because their job is to accuse. However, what they have to do is prove it,' Jáquez said of the witnesses presented by prosecutors. The prosecutors say the witnesses' testimony has been vital in proving that Franco sexually abused a minor and paid her mother money for her consent. 'Today, each of these expert witnesses' statements was vital. They established not only the fact of child sexual abuse, but also that they reinforced commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering,' prosecutor Claudio Cordero said. Documents that prosecutors presented to the judge last year and were viewed by The Associated Press alleged that Franco, through his mother Yudelka Aybar, transferred 1 million pesos ($17,000) to the mother of the minor on Jan. 5, 2023, to consent to the purported abuse. The mother of the minor has been charged with money laundering and is under house arrest. Franco also has been charged with sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking. Also, on Sunday he was charged with illegal possession of a handgun, prosecutors said. Franco was arrested Nov. 10 in San Juan de la Maguana after an altercation in a parking lot. No one was injured during the fight, and the handgun, a semiautomatic Glock 19, was found in Franco's vehicle, according to a statement from the Dominican Public Prosecutor's Office. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Franco's attorney says the player did not have the weapon, that it belongs to someone else. 'This is a celebrity, and some media outlets are perverse in trying to harm that young man,' Jáquez added. Franco, who turned 24 on March 1, was in his third major league season when his career was halted in August 2023. He agreed to an 11-year, $182 million contract in November 2021. He is currently on Major League Baseball's restricted list after initially being placed on administrative leave. ___ AP MLB:
