KRPF officer cleared in shooting

A constable with the Kativik Regional Police Force in Ivujivik was justified in shooting a suspect two weeks ago, a team of investigators from the Sûreté du Québec provincial police force has found.

Paulusi Tarriasuk, 34, who was shot in the leg, has been charged with attempted murder and more than a dozen other charges in connection with the incident.

On Jan. 21, around 8:30 p.m. in Ivujivik, a KRPF constable answered a call to intervene in a violent domestic dispute.

The constable saw the woman who had made the call walking down the street with her baby in an amauti. The constable stopped, put the two in the truck, and drove them toward the police station to take a statement of complaint.

“A truck came along head-on and rammed right into the police truck,” said KRPF Lieutenant Larry Hubert.

After the driver of the truck got out of his vehicle to yell at the woman, he went back in, turning out his lights.

Police say the man then drove around the police station, and returned, ramming into the police truck from behind.

The constable drew his truck next to the other vehicle’s door, to block the driver from exiting.

“He [the constable] went to see what he was doing. The man rolls down the window and points a rifle at him,” Hubert said.

The constable dove under the man’s truck, while the man went to the passenger door of his truck and got out.

The man threatened to shoot the woman and baby.

Meanwhile, the constable, who managed to get his shotgun out of his truck, told the man to drop his gun.

The man charged at the constable saying “fuck you, fuck you.”

The constable told the man to put the gun down, but he wouldn’t put his weapon down. So, the constable fired a warning shot.

The constable told the man to stop, but the man kept coming, and pointed the weapon at him, so he shot him in the leg, said Hubert.

After shooting the man, the constable ducked behind his truck again because the armed man still kept coming toward him, hobbling, on one leg.

The constable told the man to stop. Finally, the man lay down on the ground and was handcuffed.

The man was taken to the nursing station and flown to Montreal for further treatment. His injuries are not considered life threatening.

On the night of Oct. 14 in Ivujivik, the same constable was chased by an armed man. The constable managed to hide in some building materials outside under the dark community centre.

The man looked for the constable, using a flashlight and threatened to kill him if he found him.

Finally, the man gave up his search.

Later that day, police arrested Tarriasuk, who faces 12 separate charges including assault with a bicycle, uttering threats, causing damage under $5,000, pointing a firearm at a constable and using a firearm while committing an indictable offense. Tarriasuk was held for four days and then released with conditions.

The constable involved in these two separate incidents received permission to take a work leave from Quebec’s workmen’s safety board. He will not be returning to work in Ivujivik.

Police in Nunavik have noted an increase in gun-related offenses.