A prominent B.C. First Nations leader is calling for 含羞草研究社渕assive change含羞草研究社� after police shot an Indigenous woman multiple times on Vancouver Island Saturday in the third such incident for her community in less than a year.
含羞草研究社淲e need to find solutions now. Is it lack of police training in de-escalation? We don含羞草研究社檛 know that. Is it racism? We don含羞草研究社檛 know that含羞草研究社e have so few facts, but what we do know is we have to stop these shootings now, today,含羞草研究社� Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council president Dr. Judith Sayers told Black Press Media in the wake of the shooting in the Ucluelet First Nation community of Hitacu.
A B.C. RCMP statement indicated that Ucluelet RCMP officers received a report of a disturbance and a male in need of medical assistance on May 8 around 5:12 p.m.
含羞草研究社淩esponding officers entered the home and encountered a woman with a weapon. Shots were fired by the police officers. The woman suffered gunshot wounds and was transported to hospital by BC Emergency Health Services,含羞草研究社� the statement reads. 含羞草研究社淎 male was also transported to hospital for treatment. No one else was physically injured in this incident.含羞草研究社�
In a post to its Facebook page on May 8, The Ucluelet First Nation government advised that a serious incident had occurred in the community.
含羞草研究社淔ull details are currently under investigation. A statement for public information will be issued when complete details have been provided. There have been no fatalities, nor life-threatening injuries to those involved,含羞草研究社� the post reads.
Police say the shooting is being investigated by the Island District General Investigative Services and the Independent Investigations Office of British Columbia.
This is the third time in the past year that a Nuu-chah-nulth member has been shot by police. Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation woman Chantel Moore, 26, was shot and killed by police during a wellness check in Edmundston, New Brunswick, on June 4, 2020. Julian Jones, 28, was shot and killed by RCMP in the Tla-o-qui-aht community of Opitsaht on Feb. 27, 2021.
Sayers said that she and Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council vice president Mariah Charleson have met with the B.C. RCMP and provincial leadership to propose changes to the B.C. Police Act.
含羞草研究社淓ver since last June when (Chantel Moore) was shot, we have been working on elevating the issues of police shootings, wellness checks and working with communities as much as we can,含羞草研究社� she said, adding that NTC leadership met with B.C. RCMP Deputy Commissioner Jennifer Strachan after the shooting of Julian Jones.
含羞草研究社淲e formed a committee to start looking at ways that we can work together and try to stop these shootings. One of the core objectives for us is to stop these shootings, so I含羞草研究社檓 pretty shocked and appalled that we had another shooting on Saturday afternoon.含羞草研究社�
She said she had spoken with the IIO on Monday morning and planned to speak with RCMP leadership that afternoon.
含羞草研究社淲e definitely have a huge concern as Nuu-chah-nulth as to what is happening with police含羞草研究社e含羞草研究社檙e not letting this go by any means,含羞草研究社� she said.
含羞草研究社淥ur communities are devastated and they含羞草研究社檙e worried about are they in danger of RCMP coming onto the reserve and shooting them. The impacts of these shootings is just reverberating amongst all the members. We have to do something and that含羞草研究社檚 what we含羞草研究社檙e trying to do. We含羞草研究社檙e trying to find the best way forward while they含羞草研究社檙e doing the investigations to find out what really went on含羞草研究社e need to get to the root of what is actually happening with the RCMP and our communities.含羞草研究社�
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