Innu leadership and members of the Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation have accused Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers of employing excessive force during an arrest captured and shared online from a residence in Sheshatshiu on Tuesday evening.
Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation Chief Eugene Hart expressed his perspective on the officers, stating, “If they don’t wish to be present, they can depart,” in an interview with CBC on Wednesday. Hart, along with several dozen individuals, gathered outside the local RCMP detachment in a demonstration while awaiting the release of the individual taken into custody.
The arrest was initiated following a call from the man’s girlfriend, Nerissa Rich, who reported that he was intoxicated at the time and hoped that the police would transfer him to a holding cell to sober up. Rich described the situation as unusual for the family, emphasizing that it was non-violent but felt appropriate at the time.
The man, unnamed by CBC, faces charges including four counts of unlawfully assaulting a peace officer with a weapon or causing bodily harm, two charges of resisting or obstructing a peace officer, and one count of property-related mischief.
A video shared by Rich on social media documented the arrest, showing police officers inside the home attempting to restrain the man against a door, amidst the barking of a dog. Tensions escalated as the man resisted, leading to physical altercations between the officers and the individual.
Family members, including Lorraine Rich, the man’s aunt, expressed disapproval of the police’s actions and mobilized a protest outside the detachment, highlighting concerns about the use of excessive force by law enforcement.
Innu Nation Grand Chief Jodie Ashini, present at the gathering in Sheshatshiu, described the incident as a display of “clearly excessive force,” attributing it to systemic racism within law enforcement. Ashini and Hart advocated for the removal of a specific officer involved in the incident and called for the establishment of a tribal police service managed by the community, seeking autonomy in policing affairs.
Efforts to reach the RCMP for comments on the matter have not been successful. The Innu leadership’s requests for officer removal and the establishment of a tribal police service underscore broader calls for reform within Indigenous communities’ interactions with law enforcement.