Southend Residents Up In Arms Over RCMP Shooting

Southend Residents Up In Arms Over RCMP Shooting

Tuesday, July 08, 2008 at 15:09

 

 

Officials from the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations are in Southend today to discuss the recent RCMP shooting on the northern reserve with band officials, according to several sources in the community.

 

Chief Lawrence Joseph and Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation Chief Darrell McCallum are reportedly both involved in a meeting that doesn’t include the RCMP.

 

Neither the FSIN nor the PBCN have commented publicly on this past weekend’s incident.

 

Joseph is scheduled to hold a news conference on the matter tomorrow in Saskatoon.

 

A 34-year-old local man was shot by an experienced female officer on Saturday afternoon.

 

According to the Mounties, she was responding to a disturbance near the local detachment.

 

The RCMP say the man was shot when he refused to comply with the officer’s order to drop a weapon he was wielding.

 

Several community members, who wish to remain anonymous, are questioning the RCMP’s version of events and the need for the officer to open fire.

 

Sources say the Mountie in question is no longer in Southend, partly due to the community backlash to the incident.

 

Meanwhile, the man who was shot has reportedly been released from a Saskatoon hospital after undergoing surgery.

 

An independent investigator will head up the police investigation.

 

The RCMP also plan to discuss the matter with community residents and offer counselling.