Leadership Council Joins Calls for Public Inquiry into RCMP Deaths of Indigenous Peoples After Charges Dropped Against Jared Lowndes’ Killers

April 29, 2024

(xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh)/Vancouver, B.C.) The First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) is outraged that the RCMP continue evading charges for killing First Nations people, and is joining calls for a public inquiry into this crisis.

On Tuesday April 23^rd, the B.C. Prosecution Services (BCPS) announced that no charges had been approved against the RCMP officers who killed Wet’suwet’en man Jared Lowndes in July, 2021. This followed an April 5^th announcement that charges were being stayed against RCMP officers in the 2017 death of Wet’suwet’en and Gitxsan man Dale Culver, and an October 2023 announcement that no charges were approved against the RCMP officers who killed Everett Patrick of the Lake Babine Nation in 2020. In all cases, charges were not approved or stayed despite the findings by the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) that officer(s) committed offences. The Chief Civilian Director of the IIO is also now calling for answers.