Quebec police watchdog investigating fatal shooting by Nunavik Police Service
The Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes says its early investigation shows that officers from the Nunavik Police Service responded to a call about a possible kidnapping at about 8:20 p.m.
The BEI says a person at the home allegedly approached the officers with a sharp weapon.
The watchdog says officers then shot and injured the person, who was taken to hospital where they were declared dead.
The death marks the third fatal shooting involving the Nunavik Police Service since November 2024.
The previous shootings prompted Inuit organizations to call for change in the way policing is delivered across Quebec's Far North.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 18, 2025.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
13 hours ago
- CBC
Fatal shootings in Nunavik 73 times higher than Quebec average
The rate of fatal shootings by police officers in Nunavik is roughly 73 times higher than the Quebec average, according to numbers from the provincial police watchdog. CBC looked at data from the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI), which starts from 2017. The BEI investigates any injuries or deaths of a person other than a police officer during a police intervention.
CBC
15 hours ago
- CBC
Police in Nunavik involved in 73 times more fatal shootings than provincial average
The rate of fatal shootings by police officers in Nunavik is roughly 73 times higher than the Quebec average, according to numbers from the provincial police watchdog. CBC looked at data from the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI), which starts from 2017. The BEI investigates any injuries or deaths of a person other than a police officer during a police intervention. The organization has recorded six fatal police shootings in Nunavik, which has a population of under 15,000, compared to 51 across the province of roughly nine million. The most recent shooting by police in the province was in Inukjuak earlier this month. It prompted calls for reform across the region including from the families of two other men who were fatally shot by police. The number of people fatally shot by police in Nunavik is also higher than in the territories of Yukon and N.W.T., which both have larger populations than Nunavik. Since 2017, Yukon had one "police-involved shooting fatality", and the N.W.T. had none, according to their Coroner's offices. Nunavut's Coroner's office hasn't responded to CBC's requests. Temitope Oriola, a criminology professor at the University of Alberta, said there is a tendency across the country of police officers deploying lethal force over de-escalation techniques, but the situation in Nunavik appears to be extraordinary. "There's something fundamentally broken there, with all due respect," he said, adding that lethal force is allowed, but it depends on the necessity of deployment. But there are also troubling figures police face in Nunavik. In 2024, crime rates in the region were roughly 15 times higher than the rest of the province, according to Statistics Canada. The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction 2021 report also details the heavy struggles Nunavimmiut face with substance use and suicide rates. That's all compounded by intergenerational trauma and a lack of housing. People can become officers in Nunavik with a diploma from the École nationale de police du Québec, or, like others in the country, they can complete the cadet program at the RCMP depot division in Regina, which takes half a year. There lies the problem for Oriola. "I know people who joined the police because they have a heart of service. They wish to serve, they want to be their utmost best for all their community. But are we giving them a chance of doing this with only six months [of] training," he said. Training timeline 'fundamentally insufficient' Oriola said much of the training at the RCMP depot is focused on target practice and defensive driving. That is all and well, he said, but the six months timeframe for training leaves little room for the social, human side to policing. "It flies against the face of what many of our peer jurisdictions in the world are doing, countries such as Finland, Norway and Germany … where individuals with recruiters spend anything from two to four years being given various forms of education. Things like human rights, police and citizen encounters, psychology, and mental health issues," he said. "That timeline is fundamentally insufficient for 21st century policing. We are in an environment where police officers are being called to deal with issues that quite frankly have little to do with policing." He also wants to see more de-escalation techniques, a sentiment echoed by Patrick Watson. The assistant professor of criminology at the University of Toronto points to examples of that proving successful, like in the case of a Toronto Police Service officer who successfully apprehended a suspect in a deadly van attack in 2018. However, he said he often hears new recruits being dismissive of de-escalation techniques. He also believes that depot often prioritizes training on "high-end" policing — such as SWAT teams — over community-based policing. "The police service that employs the officer … should be doing some additional training to get their new recruits… prepared to serve a community. So there is an element of co-responsibility here. But through multiple reports, depot has been singled out, and those are items that I think the government of Canada really needs to focus on," he said. RCMP Depot division said all cadets, including from the Nunavik Police Service (NPS), get the same initial standardized training. It did not respond to further questions about its training curriculum. ENPQ said it cannot provide a response until late in August. ENPQ does offer other training sessions dedicated to de-escalation that NPS offers to its recruits. NPS officers also undergo 12 hours of Inuit cultural training online prior to arrival in Nunavik, and a spokesperson said it's working on a third form of training that will consist of a more hands-on approach to Inuit culture. 'A shield protects everyone' Watson said time and space are crucial determinants in a police officer's response to a person bearing a weapon. Tasers and pepper spray can be useful deterrents, but only at close range. There are several studies — often taught in police academies — that tell officers to draw their firearms when confronted by a subject with a knife. One of them is the "21-foot rule," or Tueller Drill, developed by Salt Lake City Police Department Sgt. Dennis Tueller. "He found that an average police officer takes about 1.5 seconds to draw, aim and fire their gun from their belt to a subject. Whereas somebody running at full speed, an average person running at full speed can cover about 21 feet," Watson said. Watson notes that science has been challenged, and there are calls for de-escalation first. However, what Watson would like to see implemented is the use of lightweight shields. They are a fixture among some police services in Europe, and was a recommendation from a coroner's inquest in Toronto in 2017. "Firearms, Tasers, or pepper spray – all three of those things are going to harm an individual. A shield protects everyone. It protects the police officer, and it protects the person who is presumably in crisis," he said.
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
In the news today: Ruling today in hockey players' sex assault trial
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed… Ruling today in hockey players' sex assault trial An Ontario judge is set to deliver her ruling today in the sexual assault trial of five former members of Canada's world junior hockey team, the culmination of a complex case that has fuelled ongoing conversations on consent and sports culture. Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote have all pleaded not guilty to sexual assault in an encounter that took place in a London, Ont. hotel room in the early hours of June 19, 2018. McLeod, who prosecutors allege was the 'ringleader' that night, has also pleaded not guilty to a separate charge of being a party to the offence of sexual assault. The players, who are now between the ages of 25 and 27, were in London at the time for a gala and golf tournament marking their championship victory. Court heard the complainant had sex with McLeod, whom she had met at a downtown bar earlier that night, in his hotel room – an encounter that was not part of the trial. The charges relate to what happened after several other players came into the room, with consent a central issue in the case. Here's what else we're watching… Rescue effort at B.C. mine where three are trapped Rescue efforts are continuing at a northern B.C. mine where three workers are trapped underground. Operator Newmont Corp. has said it was working to assemble specialist teams from nearby mine sites to respond to the situation at the Red Chris Mine in a remote area near Dease Lake, B.C. The three contractors, two from British Columbia and one from Ontario, were trapped Tuesday after two 'fall of ground incidents,' in what the company says is the access way to the underground work area. It says the workers were more than 500 metres beyond the first fall and were asked to relocate to a designated refuge station before a second collapse blocked the access way and restricted communication. The company says that before communication was cut, the workers confirmed they were in a refuge bay, which has enough food, water and ventilation for an 'extended stay.' Carney to talk major projects with Inuit leaders Prime Minister Mark Carney will meet with Inuit leaders today to discuss his government's controversial major projects legislation. The meeting of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee will be co-hosted by Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, in Inuvik, N.W.T. Obed says Inuit have many questions about Bill C-5 and are hoping the meetings provide clarity on the role they play in a single Canadian economy. The recently passed One Canadian Economy Act gives Ottawa the power to fast-track projects it deems to be in the national interest by sidestepping environmental protections and other legislation. Indigenous leaders have accused the federal government of failing to consult with them adequately when the legislation was being drafted and amended, and Carney has promised to hold talks with First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders to get input on how projects can proceed. 'Fragile': A heavy day for fire-stricken Jasper Kimberley Stark has a scavenger hunt planned for her three kids on the plot of land in Jasper, Alta., where they used to crawl, play and sleep. They'll be searching for pieces of Jasper's nature, like mushrooms, purple asters, daisies and pine trees. Stark says she wants to bring a light touch to what's likely to be heavy day in the mountain town, still bearing wounds of last summer's destructive wildfire. Thursday marks exactly one year since their home and 357 other structures in Jasper were turned to ash by a runaway fire that travelled about 30 kilometres over two days. The town commemorated the anniversary Tuesday, a year to the day that 25,000 residents and tourists were forced out of the community. Thursday is scheduled to feature a handful of low-key, private events. Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said this week that many are approaching the milestone with trepidation and, for some, the hardest part is just beginning. Bail hearing for trio in alleged extremist plot A bail hearing is scheduled to begin today for three men facing terrorism charges in an alleged anti-government plot to forcibly take over land in the Quebec City region. The Crown is opposing bail for Simon Angers-Audet, 24, Raphaël Lagacé, 25, and Marc-Aurèle Chabot, 24. They are among four people arrested in July for allegedly trying to start an anti-government 'community' north of Quebec City, and using a private Instagram account to recruit members. A fourth accused — Matthew Forbes, 33 — is facing weapons charges and was granted bail last week under a lengthy list of conditions that includes wearing a GPS tracking bracelet. Angers-Audet, Lagacé and Chabot face charges of facilitating a terrorist activity, and other charges related to the illegal storage of firearms, and possession of explosives and prohibited devices. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025.
