SCO chief won’t be charged after fight outside Ottawa bar: police

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This article was published 17/01/2025 (624 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Southern Chiefs’ Organization Grand Chief Jerry Daniels will not be charged in connection with an altercation outside a downtown Ottawa bar last month.

Ottawa Police Service spokeswoman Const. Cailey Walker said the case “is considered closed” but could be re-opened if new information is brought forward.

“We did investigate and at this point the file has been closed. That’s really all I can say.”

Last month, multiple sources told the Free Press that Daniels, and at least one member of a Manitoba First Nation, were involved in an altercation outside a bar.

Daniels was taken to hospital and treated for injuries.

Ottawa police at the time confirmed they were sent to the city’s Byward Market on Dec. 3 at 2:30 a.m., with a man being taken to hospital. They said the matter was still under investigation and no charges had been laid.

Daniels, who went on a leave of absence after the incident, with Lake Manitoba First Nation Chief Cornell McLean named as SCO’s acting chief, apologized on Dec. 20, saying he was seeking treatment for alcohol use.

“I will do better,” he said in a statement. “The past few weeks have been a wake-up call and I recognize the need for change in my lifestyle.

“Just like anyone who faces the shame of having personal struggles laid bare, I wish I had been honest sooner about my challenges with alcohol.”

Daniels also said he was committed to entering a program that included both alcohol treatment and traditional ceremony.

The leave of absence was supposed to end on Jan. 6, but an official with SCO could not be reached for comment to confirm if Daniels had returned to work.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca