Iqaluit standoff accused denied bail

An Iqaluit bylaw officer removes barriers that blocked a street in Iqaluit’s Happy Valley neighbourhood for nearly three days during an armed standoff between police and a distraught man this past May. (FILE PHOTO)

Jamie Mikijuk, the Iqaluit man facing five charges in connection with the April standoff that gripped Nunavut’s capital for more than 40 hours, appeared before a Justice of the Peace in an Iqaluit courtroom July 16.

Mikijuk, 26, wore standard-issue sweatpants and T-shirt from the Baffin Correctional Centre for a show-cause hearing.

A show-cause hearing is held after an arrest to determine if an accused person can be released back into the community while he or she awaits trial or resolution of the outstanding charges.

The Nunavut Justice of the Peace court denied the release of Mikijuk on “tertiary grounds,” Crown prosecutor Caroline Lirette told Nunatsiaq News July 17.

That means the court denied Mikijuk’s release to “maintain confidence in the administration of justice,” according to Canada’s criminal code.

Mikijuk faces five firearm-related charges in connection with the standoff, which ended peacefully and lasted from about 3:30 p.m. April 28 to 10 a.m. April 30.

Those charges are two counts of carelessly using a firearm, one count of possessing a firearm for a dangerous purpose and two counts of recklessly discharging a firearm.

At a May 1 press conference, members of the Nunavut RCMP said a man, who was barricaded inside a home in the town’s Happy Valley area, fired at least 10 shots.

RCMP have been criticized for their lack of communication during the standoff, which shut down the Happy Valley area for two days, as well as a nearby adult group home and elementary school.

Another standoff took place in Iqaluit later the same week, beginning May 2 and lasting about 12 hours.

That standoff also ended peacefully without injury to either the suspect, Iqaluit resident Tommy Josephee, or the RCMP.

Mikijuk will continue to be remanded in custody at the BCC while his charges work their way through the court.