Nunavut RCMP, GN meet with Kinngait mayor and council
Head of Nunavut RCMP apologized to mayor and council after Kinngait man knocked down by officer
RCMP and Government of Nunavut representatives met with the mayor of Kinngait and five hamlet councillors on Tuesday, June 9, to discuss the case of a man who was knocked down by an officer using the door of his police vehicle and later badly beaten, allegedly by another man in custody. (File photo)
Kinngait’s mayor, Timoon Toonoo, says he is confident “that justice will be served” after a meeting on Tuesday, June 9, with the head of Nunavut’s RCMP and Government of Nunavut officials.
Amanda Jones, chief superintendent of the Nunavut RCMP, Stephen Mansell, deputy minister of justice, the Kinngait staff sergeant, and David Joanasie, MLA for South Baffin, met with Toonoo and five other hamlet councillors on Tuesday in the community.
The meeting was held after a Kinngait RCMP officer was caught on video last week knocking down a man with the door of a police vehicle during an arrest. The man in the video was also later alleged to have been severely beaten in his cell by another inmate and flown to Iqaluit for medical treatment.
Toonoo said Jones apologized on behalf of the RCMP for both the officer’s actions and what happened to the man in the cell after he was arrested.
“We accept the apology,” Toonoo told Nunatsiaq News.
Toonoo also said the meeting, which lasted around two hours, was helpful, but councillors did not learn any new details about the incident.
“We had pretty good discussions. Most of it was a repeat from other news releases.… Amanda Jones repeated what has been in the news and let the council know … what had happened,” Toonoo said.
Two investigations were launched into the incident last week—one internally by the RCMP and one externally by the Ottawa Police Service.
At the meeting, Jones committed to providing Kinngait’s council with the results of those investigations, Toonoo said.
“I know that justice will be served,” Toonoo said.
The Kinngait RCMP detachment has four cells. The night the man in the video was knocked down and arrested, there were seven people, all intoxicated according to the RCMP, being held in custody at the detachment. That resulted in the man in the video being placed in a cell with another individual.
Both the man in the video and the man who allegedly beat him in the cells after his arrest were intoxicated that night, according to the RCMP.
“The cells that were filled were fuelled by lots of alcohol coming in,” Toonoo said.
Kinngait is usually a “restricted” community and has an alcohol education committee that oversees all liquor orders. The hamlet council passed a special liquor prohibition from May 11 to May 24 in the hope that people would follow Nunavut’s order on banning gatherings, Toonoo told Nunatsiaq News at the time.
But Toonoo said alcohol cannot be blamed for what occurred that night.
“It’s not the alcohol that’s the problem; it’s the problems surface when people get drink,” he said.
To that end, Toonoo said the community needs more mental health supports.
“We don’t have any counsellors to deal with that. And there’s not even anything in Nunavut to deal with that right now, no detox centre. Something like that would be helpful for the people that have got problems and end up doing this kind of stuff,” Toonoo said.
In August 2019, Canada and Nunavut committed to building a territorial addictions and trauma treatment centre, which is set to open in four years.
The centre would be the first in Nunavut since the Inusiqsiuqvik Treatment Centre in Apex closed in 1998.
Since Jan. 1, there have been six incidents in the territory where the Ottawa Police Service has been called in to investigate. Three of those incidents were police-involved shootings, two of them fatal.
It is sad that no community leaders are pushing for change. encouraging the community to self reflect on how they want to live and move forward. The incident with the RCMP is uncalled for but the information regarding the cells being full is a regular occurrence worstened by CERB giving people access to money they don’t usually have to buy booze.
I agree “Sad”. I would only add with the council about the need to have an addictions and trauma treatment centre, not only one but one in each Region. There are enough potential candidates that we would fill them pretty quick. There need to be family mental health facilities in every region as well and this could be the impetus to build them together. From my point of view and I am not alone in this, communities need to re-think this whole issue of beer and wine stores. The prevalence of alcoholism, domestic violence and community toxicity is too great to open these stores as soon as we have, just to satisfy a few.
I agree with you about treatment centre and what not but people need to learn to drink. Having beer and wine store will be better, replacing liquor to beer and wine. With the limit too. If it is coming from a dealer, can take how many ever the buyer wants and expensive. All these orders are usually hard stuff when they order.
It is sad. If people seek the help to get for their problems, maybe the government will start getting the treatment centre. Because inuit were family oriented and were there for each other without condition, they didn’t need the centre. Sadly, we are being corrupted by alcoholism that alcohol is being offered instead. I agree, sad they deny the geound root and looking for someone to blame. Inuit didn’t ask for the system, time to stand and make a system.
To think RCMP police brutality hasn’t gone on and won’t continue is naive. Systemic racism and racism is ingrained in all levels of government in Nunavut. Health , Social Services, Child Welfare , housing and in the Judicial system amongst Lawyers , appointed Justices , etc. From local levels of government to Territorial departments and Federal programs and yes..leaders. Many have done such a shameful disservice to the Territory of Nunavut and the communities , children ,families and people of Nunavut. Oh..sorry, if.your from the south, maybe not so much!
Moving forward my partner was beat up in the cell and RCMP placed his knee on his upper back. Take a moment to imagine a man about 140 pounds, 5feet and a huge 200 pound RCMP placing his knee on your back. Though a complaint lodged, never heard from them in almost 12 years. I could write a book about the disheartening injustices I have witnessed and am aware of while doing Social work in the north. Imagine me, being First Nation and an RCMP using the term “savage”.as a joke. I would like to know why the Government of Nunavut is not accessing Jordans Principle funding while many go hungry live in poverty and have limited resources. Its leadership in Nunavut that counts on southerners to keep them informed, access programs and advise communities and leadership about funding. I also believe English speaking staff withhold.information and deliberately withhold truths and vital information because of the language barriers. I could go on.
Point: What is Nunavut doing about Racism .systemic Racism and RCMP Police brutality. It goes on more then most know, this incident wad caught on video..not the 1st time for RCMP I’m sure.