Second Nunavik police officer charged following BEI investigation

A Nunavik police officer faces a series of charges stemming from a 2019 incident that took place while he was employed at the Kativik Regional Police Force.

Mathieu Paré, 26, has been charged with assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm.

The alleged incident happened on or around May 7, 2019, in Salluit, according to court documents. Paré also faces a charge of obstructing justice and one of counselling someone to commit a criminal act.

It is unclear whether Paré was on duty as an officer during the incident.

“When we became aware of the allegations, we immediately terminated his employment on June 13, 2019,” the KRPF said in a June 29 statement emailed to Nunatsiaq News. “We then notified the [Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes] the following day to initiate the investigation of the criminal allegation.”

The independent police investigation agency looks into incidents in which civilians are injured or killed during police altercations, but the BEI also has a mandate to investigate alleged criminal activity among police officers.

Quebec’s director of penal and criminal prosecutions laid the charges against Paré last October, following the BEI investigation..

The investigations are not made public but, rather, are handed over to the DPCP, which decides whether to lay criminal charges.

Of the BEI’s 133 investigations into accusations of criminal behaviour, the DPCP has laid charges against six officers following those investigations.

Paré is the second KRPF officer to face charges; Timothy Sangoya was accused of sexual assault last year.

Lawyers for that case are due back in court on Aug. 17 to set a date for his hearing.

The other Quebec officers who face charges are the following:

Roger Barnaby, Listuguj Police Department

Lawrence (Larry) Jock, Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service

Roger Fréchette, City of Montreal Police Service

Pierre-Luc Tremblay, Régie intermunicipale de police Roussillon

“As these files are still all at various stages of the judicial process, no other information can be disclosed,” the BEI said in a June 29 email to Nunatsiaq News.