Tla-o-qui-aht statement: RCMP murder of Chantel Moore
Tla-o-qui-aht_statement_about_RCMP_murder_of_Chantel-Moore_2020.pdf (file size: 44 KB, MIME type: application/pdf)
Summary
"Chantel Moore was Promised But Did Not Receive Better" PDF, 3 pages — Official statement of Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation (June 2020)
source: https://www.bcafn.ca/sites/default/files/docs/news/June%202020%20Tla-o-qui-aht%20Statement%20re%20Chantel%20Moore's%20Murder.pdf
archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20210511074736/https://www.bcafn.ca/sites/default/files/docs/news/June%202020%20Tla-o-qui-aht%20Statement%20re%20Chantel%20Moore's%20Murder.pdf
Chantel Moore was the first cousin of Lisa Marie Young.
[Reproduced under Copyright Act (Canada) s.29.2 - Fair Dealing for the purpose of news reporting]
CHANTEL MOORE WAS PROMISED BUT DID NOT RECEIVE BETTER
TLA-O-QUI-AHT FIRST NATIONS HEREDITARY CHIEFS & ELECTED COUNCIL STATEMENT OF THE SHOOTING DEATH OF 26-YEAR-OLD TLA-O-QUI-AHT MOTHER CHANTEL MOORE (MARTIN)
We, the Hawiih (hereditary chiefs) and elected Council stand with the Martin, Masso and Moore families devastated by the death of our beautiful young mother and granddaughter, Chantel Moore.
We, the Hawiih (hereditary chiefs) and elected Council demand “better” for her 6 year old surviving daughter Gracie and justice for Chantel.
No one needs to give up their life on a wellness check – NO ONE. We demand answers on why the officer used such brutal force that was both uncalled for and unnecessary. We demand answers on why, when questioned about how many shots the officer fired, that the responding police representative laughed – adding more fuel to an already ignited fire.
This killing was completely senseless. At the MMIWG Inquiry, RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki, committed to do better by First Nations. She said “I’m sorry that for too many of you, the RCMP was not the police service that it needed to be during this terrible time in your life. It is very clear to me that the RCMP could have done better and I promise to you we will do better.”
We are still waiting to for “better” and Chantel certainly deserved “better”.
Further we demand that:
A) The police officer that killed Chantel be charged with murder under Canada’s Criminal Code.
B) A full independent investigation into Chantel’s killing be conducted immediately and that the investigating team include experts approved by and/or appointed by the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations and The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner of British Columbia and the RCMP.
C) body cams be mandatory for all police officers working with the public to ensure all police are held accountable for their actions and protected from false testimony or misunderstandings of others.
D) That a full national inquiry to examine the root causes of, including mental health, and the full extent of police brutality against Indigenous people, Black people and other people of colour, women and those of European descent also.
E) that when the investigation of Chantel’s killing and the National Inquiry into Police Brutality and Mental Health are complete, that full disclosures of findings be made available to all First Nations and to the public with a course of action to address systemic and personal racism within Canadian Institutions that administer justice.
F) That a full mental health assessment, including impacts of PTSD, be included for all police officers in Canada. That mental health assessments be supportive, rigorous and continuous at regular 5-year intervals knowing that many who commit to “serve and protect” are psychologically wounded in the course of serving all of us.
G) That officers found to be physically and/or psychologically wounded be paid disability leave during their healing (it’s right thing to do, to take care of them if they were wounded taking care of us).
Further, that they not be permitted to return to work with the public until they are deemed mentally fit by a mental health professional, their behaviour is consistent with that designation and their physiological markers for stress management return to acceptable levels (i.e. reduction of stress hormones and manageable time to fight/flight response) .
H) that officers be continuously and at regular intervals screened for racist beliefs, ideals and actions.
If there are officers who hold racist beliefs, they must be addressed in a transparent and orderly manner.
I) That new recruits be screened in for commitment and dedication to equitably serve and protect all who live in Canada in accordance with the Canadian Constitution and Charter of Freedom and Rights. This includes the equal service and protection under the law no matter what race, ethnicity, gender, political view, religion or any other distinguishing characteristic.
J) that in the training and hiring of all new police officers, all must be required to understand that we are all humans and not animals, that we expect to be treated with honour and not anger.
BACKGROUNDER TO THE STATEMENT
Chantel Moore (Martin) was fatally shot at her residence in Edmundston, New Brunswick in the early morning hours of June 4, 2020 by a member of the Edmundston, New Brunswick Police Force.
The officer who killed Chantel had been dispatched to perform a wellness check on Chantel because, as the family has been told, she was afraid of someone who was harassing her. The wellness check concluded with the officer’s use of deadly force. The officer claimed he acted in self defense after Chantel threatened him with a knife.
There is a significant size difference between Chantel and the officer. It has been reported to the family that the officer was approximately 6’3” and approx. 300 pounds while Chantel was approx. 5’4” and 130 pounds It has been reported to the family that attempts at de-escalation were not made and non-lethal force was not attempted and that Chantel was shot 5 times at close range, we cannot help but believe the officer’s intent was to end Chantel’s life.
It has been reported to the family that there was a witness to Chantel’s murder however, there is concern about harassment by the Edmundston Police Department.
Since European contact racism has presented a huge barrier to justice for First Nations and other races of colour. This is reflected in the rate at which First Nations and other minorities are killed by police.
The absence of accountability rising from a lack of prosecution and suitable penalties for race-based crimes results with people feeling it is acceptable practice to personally and professionally racially profile,
objectify and so brutalize those of heritages different than the profilers. The spectrum of resulting practices leads to anger and now the explosion of protests we are all witnessing today across the US and around the world.
Chantel Moore’s death appears senseless on the face of it in part due to lack of credible and convincing answers by the Edmundston Police Force. One officer even laughed in an interview when discussing Chantel’s death. Chantel’s killing appears to be senseless, avoidable and an act of systemic racism.
We, as First Nations, know first-hand the devasting impacts of trauma and PTSD and the resulting secondary lateral violence following centuries of mistreatment by police, residential schools and other racist institutions. We ask you, and all our Canadian police to be accountable to face your trauma and address your healing to prevent passing it onto our families, like the families of Chantel and George Floyd and in the countless videos we’ve seen these past few weeks.
Where there is pure malicious intent to hurt people our communities on the part of any police officer, we ask you face that in your organization and address like you would with any other criminal.
At the MMIW Inquiry RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki, committed to do better by First Nations. She said “I’m sorry that for too many of you, the RCMP was not the police service that it needed to be during this terrible time in your life. It is very clear to me that the RCMP could have done better and I promise to you we will do better.” We are still waiting to for “better” and Chantel certainly deserved “better”.
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current | 04:34, 10 March 2024 | (44 KB) | Arielmais (talk | contribs) | ''"Chantel Moore was Promised But Did Not Receive Better"'' (PDF, 3 pages) Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, June 2020 source: https://www.bcafn.ca/sites/default/files/docs/news/June%202020%20Tla-o-qui-aht%20Statement%20re%20Chantel%20Moore's%20Murder.pdf [Reproduced under Copyright Act (Canada) s.29.2 - Fair Dealing for the purpose of news reporting] |
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