HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY, N.L. — The Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay has hired a law firm to start an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding a video widely circulating on social media since Oct. 16.
Council held a special meeting Wednesday to appoint the firm of Stewart McKelvey to contract an independent investigator to look into the 51-second video, which shows a 30-year-old Inuk man in handcuffs thrown to the ground by a municipal enforcement officer.
The video has sparked much controversy, leading to some calls for the officer to be fired. He has been placed on administrative duties since Oct. 17.
During Wednesday's meeting, Coun. Jackie Compton Hobbs and Coun. Lori Dyson-Edmunds stressed that people wanted the investigation underway and completed as soon as possible.
Mayor Wally Andersen agreed the matter was time-sensitive and the community wants answers, but added it is also important to make sure the review is done in an appropriate manner.
“Let there be no mistake that we’ll make that our intention as well, that we want the investigation carried out in a proper fashion and as short a time as possible,” Andersen said at the meeting.
One of those who had called for an independent investigation, Nunatukavut Community Council (NCC) President Todd Russell, said he is happy to see the town acting on it, and also stressed the importance of timeliness.
“People are asking for this. They know how important this matter is and want to see it addressed in an appropriate and fair way,” Russell said. “People want answers. They deserve answers.”
Russell said he hopes the town will be as tranparent as possible in the investigation, and that it should be seen as an opportunity by the town to address systemic racism, to enhance policies and to improve relationships in the community to make sure this type of situation doesn’t arise again.
The man in the video is alleged to be homeless, which has sparked conversations about the issue in the community.
Russell said that while those are important conversations to have and need to be had, he is concerned it’s detracting from he sees as the main issue in this case, which isn’t related to homelessness.
“I think we need to be clear that this is a situation where there’s an unnecessary amount of force being used against an Indigenous person. This is another manifestation of systemic racism and it must be looked at from that angle for us to arrive at improvements.”
Evan Careen is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering Labrador for SaltWire Network
