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CBC
a day ago
- Politics
- CBC
'It's got to stop': Family of men killed by Nunavik police calling on Quebec for reforms
David Annanack acknowledged that his son Mark R Annanack had broken some laws in the past, but said he had a good heart. He told Mark to stop evading police, but when his son did stop running, it all went horribly wrong. Mark died in their village of Kangiqsualujjuaq, Que. after a fatal police shooting in May. "He was waiting for the police to pick him up to bring him to jail. As soon as they saw him, they shot him two times … one by each of those police officers," Annanack said. Quebec's police watchdog, the Bureau des Enquêtes Indépendantes (BEI), is still investigating that shooting. Its preliminary findings at the time suggested a person reportedly exited a tent with a bladed weapon and police tried to use pepper spray and a taser to subdue him. The BEI's statement did not state how many shots were fired. Annanack has now co-signed a letter calling for changes within the Nunavik Police Service (NPS) and for a meeting with Quebec Premier François Legault. The letter comes off the back of a fatal police shooting in Inukjuak on July 17, marking the third such death in the region since November 2024 and 17th police-related death in Nunavik — a region of less than 15,000 — since 2017, according to the BEI's database. The other signatory is Garnet Papigatuk, who was shot by police in Salluit in November 2024. He survived, but his brother Joshua did not. That letter, also posted to Facebook on Tuesday, has three demands for the province, to disarm local police officers, launch a full public commission inquiry into the Nunavik Police Service, and create a team to work towards reconciliation. 'They're going to kill more' Inukjuak mayor Bobby Epoo said the recent death is still very fresh for the community. He said some family members, from nearby Sanikiluaq, NU, are still making their way to Inukjuak. "Other family members from our neighboring community arrived by boat over the weekend. They are still in shock. They're still mourning," he said. The body still needs to be sent south for an autopsy, before the family can make funeral arrangements. Epoo called on BEI to issue a public statement about its findings after its investigation into the death is complete. He also took aim at the training some officers get from the École Nationale de Police du Québec, which he believes does not account for the realities of the North and isn't culturally relevant. Above all, he wants to see police find ways to only use lethal force as a last resort. "Why do training on a taser and pepper spray if you're not going to use it," he wonders. The BEI said its current investigations do not suggest those deterrents were used in Inukjuak before police opened fire. With all the police-related deaths in the region, Annanack urged the province to meet his demands. "It's the only way to stop them. If they carry firearms on their side, on the streets, they're going to kill more. It's got to stop. We're not animals, we're not dogs," he said. Ongoing reviews In response to the letter from Annanack and Papigatuk, Quebec's Minister of Public Security François Bonnardel offered his thoughts to the affected families. But he reiterated the need for the BEI to complete its investigations. "The Government of Quebec is paying special attention to the erosion of a feeling of trust between the population of Nunavik and its police service," he said in a French statement. The Kativik Regional Government (KRG) has launched an independent audit on the Nunavik police, after the death of Annanack. The KRG has civilian oversight over NPS. "Being responsible for the administration of their police force and out of respect for their autonomy, the teams from the Ministry of Public Security will be available to support, advise, and facilitate the implementation of this independent audit by the KRG," Bonnardel said. KRG wouldn't speak directly to the letter, but issued a statement beforehand, offering its condolences and announcing some of the changes it's working toward, including a plan to end "a rotational system for NPS management." "These repeated fatal shootings deny Nunavimmiut the opportunity to heal and to feel fully safe in their communities," KRG vice chairperson Mary Arngaq said in the statement.
CTV News
6 days ago
- CTV News
Killed by police gunfire: BEI investigating death in Inukjuak
A logo of the Bureau of Independent Investigations (BEI) in Louiseville on March 28, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz) Quebec's Bureau of Independent Investigations (BEI) is looking into a fatal police intervention that occurred Thursday in Inukjuak, in northern Quebec. The BEI says a 911 call was made around 8:19 p.m. about a hostage situation at a residence. Officers arrived at the scene around 8:25 p.m. and came into contact with the individual named in the call. According to the preliminary report, the woman reportedly approached police with a bladed weapon before officers opened fire. Police administered first aid until first responders arrived. She was then taken to a health centre, where her death was confirmed. Six BEI investigators have been assigned to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. The BEI is mandated to investigate when a person, other than an on-duty police officer, dies, suffers a serious injury, or is injured by a firearm used by police during an intervention or while in custody, the agency said in a release. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 18, 2025.
CBC
6 days ago
- CBC
One dead after fatal police shooting in Inukjuak, Que.
One person is dead after being shot by police in Inukjuak, Que., marking the third fatal police shooting in Nunavik in eight months. In a statement to CBC News, Quebec's police watchdog, the Bureau des Enquêtes Indépendantes (BEI), said it has launched an independent investigation into the shooting, which occurred Thursday evening. BEI investigators are flying to the community Friday morning. The Nunavik Police Service (NPS) has declined to comment, with the case now in BEI's hands. Inukjuak Mayor Bobby Epoo said the community is in mourning, and he is waiting to speak to BEI investigators before commenting further. He said he hopes police can stop resorting to firearms during confrontations. Thursday's incident comes after two other fatal police shootings in Nunavik in recent months. Mark R Annanack was killed in Kangiqsualujjuaq two months ago, and in November 2024, Joshua Papigatuk was killed i n Salluit, while his brother, Garnet, was seriously injured. Following Papigatuk's killing, the Kativik Regional Government (KRG) and the Makivvik Corporation announced a new public safety committee, tasked with reviewing policing practices, ensuring better accountability and engaging with local community leaders in the region. The BEI has completed its investigation into the Salluit shooting, and has submitted it to Quebec's Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions, which said it's still reviewing the case before deciding whether to lay charges or not. After Annanack's death, KRG passed a resolution calling for a review of police operations and ways to make policing better reflect Inuit culture. KRG has civilian oversight over NPS. The resolution stated that KRG was working with Makivvik to help it find an auditor, who would report back to the council by fall 2025.
CBC
10-07-2025
- CBC
Former police chief of Mashteuiatsh Innu community accused of sexual assault
The former police chief of the Innu community of Mashteuiatsh, located in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region, is accused of sexual assault and trespassing, according to Quebec's police watchdog. Mathieu Launière was arrested by the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI) in March and later released. The charges stem from events that occurred in 2013, said the watchdog in a news release. The BEI didn't provide further details on the incident but said the accusations were a result of a months-long investigation. Launière became director of public security for the community in 2022, according to a Pekuakamiulnuatsh Takuhikan - Mashteuiatsh Facebook post. He was suspended from his role in 2024, but no explanation was given at the time. Launière was not present for his court appearance Thursday morning at the Roberval, Que., courthouse. His lawyer, Jean-Marc Fradette, said his client denies any accusations against him.
CTV News
10-07-2025
- CTV News
Ex-police chief of Mashteuiatsh Innu community charged with sexual assault
Mathieu Launière is the former head of police for the First Nations community of Mashteuiatsh. (Source: Pekuakamiulnuatsh Takuhikan - Mashteuiatsh/Facebook) Quebec's police watchdog has arrested the former head of public security of Mashteuiatsh, an Indigenous community in Quebec's Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. Mathieu Launière was arrested March 25, 2025, following a months-long investigation and faces one count of sexual assault and one count of breaking and entering, the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI) said in a news release on Thursday. He appeared in court in Roberval, Que., on Thursday. According to the BEI, the offence allegedly took place in 2013 in Mashteuiatsh, an Innu community of about 2,100 people in Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation, roughly 300 kilometres north of Quebec City. Launière was appointed director of public security on April 4, 2022, after serving in the role on an interim basis for two years, and was reportedly suspended from duty last August. According to a post on the Innu community's Facebook page, he is a member of the Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation and has more than 13 years of experience in law enforcement, including as a police officer in various First Nations communities.
