AMC concerned about recurring pattern of police-related deaths

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/11/2023 (709 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The partner of a 37-year-old man who died in Winnipeg police custody is questioning the force used by officers, while Manitoba chiefs raise concerns about a “recurring pattern” of fatalities involving First Nations people.

Elias Whitehead went into medical distress while he was arrested at Broadway and Sherbrook Street on Oct. 15. He was later pronounced dead at Health Sciences Centre.

“The police are supposed to keep people safe. They’re supposed to help people. This wasn’t the case for Elias and many other people,” his partner, Jody Beardy, told reporters Thursday.

“Where was his help? Why didn’t they keep him safe? Regardless of the situation, they failed him.”

The Winnipeg Police Service and Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba, the civilian police watchdog, have released limited details about the incident, which began as a well-being check.

Police claim Whitehead resisted arrest, leading to a struggle. The IIU said Whitehead began to have trouble breathing. The watchdog will determine whether police acted appropriately.

Whitehead’s loved ones are waiting for more details about what happened and do not yet know his cause of death.

Beardy questioned police training and why the incident unfolded the way it did.

“The amount of force they used was unnecessary,” she said.

Beardy regrets watching a one-minute video, recorded by a witness, which showed part of the arrest.

“I still see it. I can’t sleep. I’m traumatized by that video,” she said.

Police Chief Danny Smyth told the Free Press that while he empathizes with Beardy, people should wait for the IIU to complete its investigation and report its findings.

Viewers shouldn’t draw conclusions from a short piece of video, he said..

“We need to wait to see what occurred in the entire event. I don’t even know the truth,” Smyth said.

The officers involved in the incident will account for their actions, he said, adding he is confident his officers are well trained.

That’s a matter of opinion, said Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Grand Chief Garrison Settee, who argued police could have handled the encounter differently.

In an earlier online post, Smyth said police received calls about a man in traffic at about 11 p.m. A caller claimed a man jumped in front of her vehicle, punched the window and tried to get inside.

She indicated there was blood on her vehicle, Smyth wrote.

Smyth claimed Whitehead was combative, acted erratically and resisted officers who tried to arrest him.

There was a struggle as police used force to restrain and control the man, he wrote.

On Thursday, Smyth declined to discuss the moments that led up to Whitehead’s death.

Even if Whitehead acted that way, police actions were not justified, Beardy argued.

Demanding justice for her partner of 11 years, she appealed for witnesses to come forward.

The video showed officers struggling with a man lying face down on Broadway. Officers punched and kneed the man, whose arms and legs were moving while he was pinned down. Officers appeared to be trying to take hold of his arms.

The video did not show the beginning of the encounter and the camera’s view was eventually blocked by police cars.

Whitehead was immediately treated by the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, which was already on scene for an unrelated incident, the IIU said.

Whitehead, a carpenter and mechanic who lived in Tataskweyak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba, was in Winnipeg for heavy equipment operator training. He was from Webequie First Nation in Ontario.

“Elias was a good man. He was kind. He was the best partner,” said Beardy.

Typically, officers are placed on administrative leave and undergo screening before a return to duty following an in-custody death, said Smyth.

“It’s a traumatic thing for them to experience,” he said.

First Nations leaders organized the news conference to discuss their concerns about police-involved deaths and the proportion involving First Nations people.

Settee questioned the broader culture within the police department and whether officers receive adequate cultural sensitivity training.

“The police are supposed to protect and to serve, and our people no longer feel safe under this system. There’s something deeply wrong and it must be fixed,” Settee said.

Officers go through “quite a bit” of cultural sensitivity training, which includes learning about the history of and generational trauma experienced by Indigenous Peoples, Smyth said.

The police service seeks advice from an elder, he said.

Settee wants the police department to bring in First Nations organizations to help guide training related to Indigenous Peoples.

“I think that’s the missing piece in resolving this issue,” said the head of MKO, which represents 26 northern First Nations.

“I don’t think anything will change until we have the involvement of Indigenous people that have a sense of justice and understanding of justice and also implementing culturally appropriate systems to be able to de-escalate situations.”

Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Cathy Merrick wrote to Smyth and Mayor Scott Gillingham to ask that the organization be informed when a First Nations person dies in a police-involved incident.

Smyth said he is always willing to discuss matters with Indigenous leaders.

Gillingham, who cannot direct police operations, said he is willing to meet with Merrick. His office shared the letter with the Winnipeg Police Board for further action.

— with files from Joyanne Pursaga

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca