Latest news with #MarkRAnnanack
CBC
23-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
'It's got to stop': Family of men killed by Nunavik police calling on Quebec for reforms
David Annanack acknowledged that his son Mark R Annanack had broken some laws in the past, but said he had a good heart. He told Mark to stop evading police, but when his son did stop running, it all went horribly wrong. Mark died in their village of Kangiqsualujjuaq, Que. after a fatal police shooting in May. "He was waiting for the police to pick him up to bring him to jail. As soon as they saw him, they shot him two times … one by each of those police officers," Annanack said. Quebec's police watchdog, the Bureau des Enquêtes Indépendantes (BEI), is still investigating that shooting. Its preliminary findings at the time suggested a person reportedly exited a tent with a bladed weapon and police tried to use pepper spray and a taser to subdue him. The BEI's statement did not state how many shots were fired. Annanack has now co-signed a letter calling for changes within the Nunavik Police Service (NPS) and for a meeting with Quebec Premier François Legault. The letter comes off the back of a fatal police shooting in Inukjuak on July 17, marking the third such death in the region since November 2024 and 17th police-related death in Nunavik — a region of less than 15,000 — since 2017, according to the BEI's database. The other signatory is Garnet Papigatuk, who was shot by police in Salluit in November 2024. He survived, but his brother Joshua did not. That letter, also posted to Facebook on Tuesday, has three demands for the province, to disarm local police officers, launch a full public commission inquiry into the Nunavik Police Service, and create a team to work towards reconciliation. 'They're going to kill more' Inukjuak mayor Bobby Epoo said the recent death is still very fresh for the community. He said some family members, from nearby Sanikiluaq, NU, are still making their way to Inukjuak. "Other family members from our neighboring community arrived by boat over the weekend. They are still in shock. They're still mourning," he said. The body still needs to be sent south for an autopsy, before the family can make funeral arrangements. Epoo called on BEI to issue a public statement about its findings after its investigation into the death is complete. He also took aim at the training some officers get from the École Nationale de Police du Québec, which he believes does not account for the realities of the North and isn't culturally relevant. Above all, he wants to see police find ways to only use lethal force as a last resort. "Why do training on a taser and pepper spray if you're not going to use it," he wonders. The BEI said its current investigations do not suggest those deterrents were used in Inukjuak before police opened fire. With all the police-related deaths in the region, Annanack urged the province to meet his demands. "It's the only way to stop them. If they carry firearms on their side, on the streets, they're going to kill more. It's got to stop. We're not animals, we're not dogs," he said. Ongoing reviews In response to the letter from Annanack and Papigatuk, Quebec's Minister of Public Security François Bonnardel offered his thoughts to the affected families. But he reiterated the need for the BEI to complete its investigations. "The Government of Quebec is paying special attention to the erosion of a feeling of trust between the population of Nunavik and its police service," he said in a French statement. The Kativik Regional Government (KRG) has launched an independent audit on the Nunavik police, after the death of Annanack. The KRG has civilian oversight over NPS. "Being responsible for the administration of their police force and out of respect for their autonomy, the teams from the Ministry of Public Security will be available to support, advise, and facilitate the implementation of this independent audit by the KRG," Bonnardel said. KRG wouldn't speak directly to the letter, but issued a statement beforehand, offering its condolences and announcing some of the changes it's working toward, including a plan to end "a rotational system for NPS management." "These repeated fatal shootings deny Nunavimmiut the opportunity to heal and to feel fully safe in their communities," KRG vice chairperson Mary Arngaq said in the statement.
CBC
10-05-2025
- CBC
Inuit group demands change from Nunavik police after officer kills Inuk man
A 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, and has reignited anger and trauma in Nunavik. The Quebec coroner's office identified the victim as Mark R Annanack, 35, of Kangiqsualujjuaq. Makivvik, a group that represents the Inuit of Nunavik, said in a scathing statement this week there is a pattern of police using excessive force in the region. "Makivvik is calling for immediate and exceptional measures," the organization said, adding that while an independent investigation is necessary, other actions must follow. "This crisis demands substantial structural change in the way policing is delivered across Nunavik, we cannot wait for another report while more lives are put at risk." Makivvik head Pita Aatami asked how many families must suffer before the province "understands that policing in Nunavik is broken?" "This latest tragedy is not isolated: it reflects a systemic failure in the way policing is delivered in Nunavik," Aatami said. "Despite repeated warnings, commitments, and investigations, police interventions continue to fail our communities. We condemn this fatality, and we demand immediate and measurable accountability." Quebec's police watchdog — Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes — said members of the Nunavik Police Service had planned to arrest someone who was inside a tent in the Inuit village on the eastern shore of Ungava Bay. The police force said in its own statement that officers had a warrant for the man, but the force said he resisted when two officers tried to arrest him about 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The police force said officers used pepper spray on the man, who they say emerged from the tent with a knife. An officer tried to subdue the man with a stun gun, but as the situation evolved an officer opened fire and the victim was later declared dead at a regional health centre. Quebec's police oversight agency announced Wednesday it was investigating the shooting in Kangiqsualujjuaq. Nunavik Police Service has declined to comment further. Nunavik officers are equipped with body cameras, and the police service confirmed video has been shared with the watchdog agency. Makivvik said the latest death reflects a failure of the police force to de-escalate a situation or employ a level of cultural understanding. 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. The Quebec police watchdog is also investigating that killing. Following Papigatuk's killing, Makivvik said it has worked with the Kativik Regional Government to create the Nunavik public safety committee, tasked with reforming policing practices, ensuring better accountability and engaging with local community leaders in the region. "The committee's mandate includes reviewing use-of-force policies, advancing Inuit-led oversight, and co-ordinating with communities directly impacted by police violence," the organization said. Kativik Regional Government said in its own statement the police watchdog needs to move faster on investigations in Nunavik, with a "firm agreement to produce complete final reports within six months." They also want the watchdog agency to convene public meetings with communities and review investigation results with them. They should also publish reports in Inuktitut. A spokesman for Quebec Indigenous Affairs Minister Ian Lafrenière said he was in contact with Makivvik's president. "I offered him my support in these very difficult times for everyone," the minister said in a statement, adding he would keep close tabs on the watchdog agency's investigation.
National Observer
09-05-2025
- National Observer
Inuit group calls for Nunavik Police reform after latest fatal shooting
A 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, and has reignited anger and trauma in Nunavik. The Quebec coroner's office identified the victim as Mark R Annanack, 35, of Kangiqsualujjuaq. Makivvik, a group that represents the Inuit of Nunavik, said in a scathing statement this week there is a pattern of police using excessive force in the region. "Makivvik is calling for immediate and exceptional measures," the organization said, adding that while an independent investigation is necessary, other actions must follow. "This crisis demands substantial structural change in the way policing is delivered across Nunavik, we cannot wait for another report while more lives are put at risk." Makivvik head Pita Aatami asked how many families must suffer before the province "understands that policing in Nunavik is broken?" "This latest tragedy is not isolated: it reflects a systemic failure in the way policing is delivered in Nunavik,' Aatami said. "Despite repeated warnings, commitments, and investigations, police interventions continue to fail our communities. We condemn this fatality, and we demand immediate and measurable accountability.' Quebec's police watchdog — Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes — said members of the Nunavik Police Service had planned to arrest someone who was inside a tent in the Inuit village on the eastern shore of Ungava Bay. The police force said in its own statement that officers had a warrant for the man, but the force said he resisted when two officers tried to arrest him about 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Makivvik, a group that represents the Inuit of Nunavik, said in a scathing statement this week there is a pattern of police using excessive force in the region. "Makivvik is calling for immediate and exceptional measures," the organization said. The police force said officers used pepper spray on the man, who they say emerged from the tent with a knife. An officer tried to subdue the man with a stun gun, but as the situation evolved an officer opened fire and the victim was later declared dead at a regional health centre. Quebec's police oversight agency announced Wednesday it was investigating the shooting in Kangiqsualujjuaq. Nunavik Police Service has declined to comment further. Nunavik officers are equipped with body cameras, and the police service confirmed video has been shared with the watchdog agency. Makivvik said the latest death reflects a failure of the police force to de-escalate a situation or employ a level of cultural understanding. 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. The Quebec police watchdog is also investigating that killing. Following Papigatuk's killing, Makivvik said it has worked with the Kativik Regional Government to create the Nunavik public safety committee, tasked with reforming policing practices, ensuring better accountability and engaging with local community leaders in the region. "The committee's mandate includes reviewing use-of-force policies, advancing Inuit-led oversight, and co-ordinating with communities directly impacted by police violence," the organization said. Kativik Regional Government said in its own statement the police watchdog needs to move faster on investigations in Nunavik, with a "firm agreement to produce complete final reports within six months." They also want the watchdog agency to convene public meetings with communities and review investigation results with them. They should also publish reports in Inuktitut. A spokesman for Quebec Indigenous Affairs Minister Ian Lafrenière said he was in contact with Makivvik's president. "I offered him my support in these very difficult times for everyone," the minister said in a statement, adding he would keep close tabs on the watchdog agency's investigation. Jake Lamotta Granato, a spokesman for the coroner, said coroner Francine Danais will investigate Annanack's death.
