Two years after Joshua Papigatuk died in a police shooting, Salluit awaits answers
Prosecutors have decided whether to charge offices involved, but have yet to announce their conclusion
Garnet Papigatuk, left, stands with his brother Joshua Papigatuk in this undated photo. Two years after Joshua was killed in a police intervention in Salluit, the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions has completed its review of the case and has decided whether to prosecute the officers involved. The outcome has yet to be made public. (Photo courtesy of François Léger-Savard)
Two years after a police intervention in Salluit ended with Joshua Papigatuk dead and his twin brother Garnet Papigatuk seriously injured, Quebec prosecutors have decided whether the officers involved will face criminal charges but are waiting to speak to the family before making their decision public.
Lucas Bastien, spokesperson for the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions, said an announcement is expected soon but did not specify when.
“Our decision to proceed or not can only be made public once we have met with the deceased’s family,” he said in an email Tuesday to Nunatsiaq News.
Early on Nov. 4, 2024, two police officers responded to a report of impaired driving, according to a news release from Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes, Quebec’s police watchdog, at the time of the incident.
Minutes later, an altercation broke out between the officers and two people. Police used a stun gun and pepper spray to try to control them.
An officer fired a gun once in the direction of one of the individuals, who was injured. A struggle continued with the second person and more shots were fired. One was pronounced dead, and the other was medevaced.
Garnet Papigatuk, who survived the shooting and has since recovered from his injuries, faces assault and obstruction charges in connection with the incident.
His next court appearance is scheduled for this month, said Louis-Nicholas Coupal, a lawyer who advises Garnet Papigatuk and members of his family on potential civil litigation.
On Monday, Garnet Papigatuk and David Annanack Sr., whose son Mark died following a police shooting in Kangiqsualujjuaq in May 2025, renewed in a letter their demands to improve the region’s justice system.
The letter expresses disappointment over what the families describe as a lack of response to a list of demands that they sent to provincial leaders on July 22, 2025, which calls for investments in victim support services and a public inquiry into systemic policing problems.
They are also calling for police to use non-lethal weapons instead of firearms.
“The demand for real, structural change has not changed,” Coupal said in an interview.
In Salluit, “Justice for the twins” signs remain posted in some parts of town and frustration over the lack of a public decision remains, said Stephen Grasser, the community’s regional councillor.
“It’s cruel that the town and the family have been kept in the dark for so long,” he said.
Quebec’s police watchdog submitted its investigation report to prosecutors in June 2025. However, the prosecution service said the file was not considered complete until a supplementary investigation was completed in July 2026, said Bastien.
“It should be noted that the time required for a Crown prosecutor to review a file varies from case to case, depending on the specific circumstances,” he said.
“This timeframe depends on several factors, including the completeness of the file, requests for additional evidence (including the need for expert opinions) and the time required to obtain it, the complexity of the issues raised, the volume of evidence, and so on.”
Ungava MNA Sonia Caron said in an email to Nunatsiaq News that she intends to raise the matter with the provincial ministries involved and follow up on the delay in the Crown’s decision.
Kativik Regional Government chairperson Maggie Emudluk also acknowledged the impact the incident has had on the community.
“I recognize that this prolonged wait has been difficult and that many people continue to seek answers,” Emudluk said in a statement to Nunatsiaq News.
Nunatsiaq News reached out to Joshua Papigatuk’s parents for comment but did not receive a response.
The justice system in Nunavik (and Canada in general) is an absolute joke. Victims are not protected. Suspects are now victims. The delays are ridiculous. If the general public knew how dysfunctional the system is. They would demand a complete dismantling and rebuild of the justice system. What is the point of giving someone conditions to respect when they have previously breached conditions HUNDREDS of times? Conditional Sentences for everyone. Fail to respect them? No problem. Here is another one. Losing track of criminal files and then closing them? Yup. Dysfunctional. Useless. Fails the people it is supposed to protect.
People expect police officers to die in the hand of criminals…
If I’m reading comments about this case all around, cops are expected to be cannon fodders. You don’t need to be an expert to understand that police will respond with lethal force when someone tries to kill them. Others are talking about ”de-escalation”. How exactly are you going to de-escalate when someone has a knife and is about to stab you, and you have half a second to take a decision? Taser and pepper sprayed failed, what is the next step? Just let the guy stab you and die at the end in a puddle of blood. Common!