HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY, N.L. — An independent agency is being called in to conduct an investigation in Happy Valley-Goose Bay after a video of a 30-year-old Indigenous man being thrown to the ground by a municipal enforcement officer during an arrest began to circulate online.
The Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay sent out a statement Oct. 16, the same day the video showed up online, saying it was aware of the video and it was being investigated. The next day, the town said the officer had been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of an independent investigation.
The video, which has been shared on Facebook hundreds of times, has drawn a lot of criticism online, with many calling for the officer to be fired, and others urging people to not rush to judgment until the investigation is complete. The man in the video is alleged to be part of the large transient population in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
Torngat Mountains MHA Lela Evans was one of the first to share the video, and said she will be satisfied by the investigation and just wants answers. Evans said she was quite shocked when she first saw it.
"All I’m asking for is to make sure it’s properly investigated so the findings can be given to the public, to the community, so the community can be satisfied.”
“From what I can see in the video, the town cop was in complete control, so I didn’t think there was any need to throw him,” she said. “I question the need for throwing him. Was he sending a message to the homeless people? Was this a threat like, ‘if you come in this area this is what’s going to happen to you’? For me, justice is not about that. It shouldn’t be in the hands of a community officer to do this to homeless people or to anyone. There’s processes for that.”
Todd Russell, president of the Nunatukavut Community Council (NCC), which represents the Southern Inuit of Labrador, stated in a news release it was “extremely disturbing” to watch the video.
“This outrageous behaviour is another troubling example of violence against Indigenous people and the structural racism that exists in law enforcement in Canada,” Russell said, calling on the town to hold a thorough investigation.
The Nunatsiavut government also expressed concern about the video and said it fully supports the investigation. NG President Johannes Lampe said in a statement they understand many of their people are concerned by the video and “fully expects that appropriate action will be taken once the investigation is completed.”
SIRT not applicable: Crocker
Evans had asked in the House of Assembly about the incident, and whether the Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) would be called in to investigate. She told SaltWire Network she asked because she had been hearing complaints from the region before this happened, and it isn’t even in her district.
“All I’m asking for is to make sure it’s properly investigated so the findings can be given to the public, to the community, so the community can be satisfied.”
Minister of Justice and Public Safety Steve Crocker said the SIRT legislation wouldn’t apply in this case, and in this province would mostly refer to the RCMP and RNC.
The Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay said it would make no further comment until the investigation is complete.
