Man injured in Salluit police-involved shooting now appears to face assault, obstruction charges
Garnet Papigatuk survived police shooting incident that killed his twin brother Joshua
Joshua Papigatuk (right), died after an altercation with a police officer in Salluit, his twin, Garnet Papigatuk (left), was severly injured. (Photo courtesy of François Léger-Savard)
Police have laid charges against 27-year-old Garnet Papigatuk, who appears to be one of the twin brothers shot by police in Salluit in 2024.
Both he and his brother Joshua were shot by Nunavik Police Service officers. Joshua died, but Garnet recovered from his injuries. Nearly a year after the incident, it appears that police laid charges against Garnet.
On Nov. 4, 2024, two Nunavik Police Service officers responded at 4:10 a.m. to a report of someone attempting to drive while impaired, Quebec’s police watchdog, the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes, said in a news release issued at the time.
An altercation broke out between police and two people and officers used a stun gun and pepper spray to try to control them, said the bureau, which is responsible for investigating cases in Quebec when people die or are injured during contact with police.
An officer fired a gun once in the direction of one of the two men.
As the altercation continued with the second person, the officer allegedly fired in his direction.
Both men, who were then 26 years old, were taken to hospital. Joshua Papigatuk was pronounced dead, while Garnet was listed in stable condition at the time.
On Oct. 29, 2025 — nearly a year after the shooting — the Surêté du Quebec, the supporting police force on the case, charged a man named Garnet Papigatuk with assault causing injury to a peace officer, assaulting a peace officer to resist arrest and obstructing two police officers.
In the court summons obtained by Nunatsiaq News, the location and date of the incident match those of the incident involving the twins.
Nunatsiaq News tried unsuccessfully to reach Garnet Papigatuk to ask him if he faced charges. A reporter also contacted multiple family members, who declined to comment.
Lawyer Caroline Jennis, who is believed to represent Garnet Papigatuk, was contacted multiple times, but calls went to voicemail. No one returned the message that was left.
The Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions, the Quebec authority that decides whether criminal charges should be laid and prosecuted, said for confidentiality reasons it cannot confirm whether or not there is a connection between the Garnet Papigatuk who was charged and the brother who survived the police shooting.
The Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes, which investigated the actions of the police officers involved in the shooting, handed over its report to the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions on June 26, 2025.
No decision has been released publicly by either prosecutors or the bureau regarding the bureau’s investigation. On the anniversary of the shooting, people in several communities took to the streets demanding an end to police brutality against Inuit and justice for those who have been killed.
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The story seems less focused on new facts and more on reviving controversy, ultimately reporting little more than the unavailability of sources for questioning. CLICKBAIT!
Arrive alive, don’t drink and drive.
Report suspected impaired driving. 819-XXX-9111.
Reading this article, I couldn’t help but feel concerned that a grieving family was contacted during an already painful time. Knowing what they have endured, this approach risks retraumatizing people who are still processing loss. Harassing a family to publish a story that adds little value causes harm. Stories like this deserve careful, trauma-informed reporting.