An Indigenous group is angry after a police officer was cleared of slapping a teenager on a gurney.
The group expressed its displeasure at Balmoral police headquarters Tuesday morning, with police board chair Georjann Morriseau noting while police are working to become more transparent, she would not speak to any particular case out of confidentiality.
“I don’t know if it’s so much about this case, when talking to the elders, it wasn’t just about one incident. It’s just about this on-going relationship with the public,” notes Morriseau.
She adds the police department is trying to keep the public aware of how it is progressing on these issues. “Not all police are bad, not all Nishnawbe people are bad, and that’s not to dismiss anything. But sometimes these things need to happen to get reactionary steps moving forward.”
The board member adds demonstrations like this one are a hit to the police. She says there are police officers that see that and say ‘Wait, that’s not me, that’s not who I represent’.
A scheduled tree planting representing Indigenous mistreatment did not happen at the police station, as further discussions are planned.
