Sask. First Nation criticizes RCMP for inaction on gangs, drugs after death of 21-year-old man

Red Pheasant Cree Nation is calling for the RCMP to take a more preventative approach to gang and drug-related violence after the death of a young man from the Saskatchewan community last weekend.

Officers from the Battlefords RCMP detachment responded to a firearms call on the First Nation around 3 a.m. on Sunday, March 6. They found a 21-year-old dead man on a roadway, RCMP said in a news release earlier this week.

RCMP said their investigation has determined he was fatally injured while leaving a home following a verbal altercation.

Now people in the community, just over 100 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon, are not only grieving the loss of a young member of the First Nation, they are also scared, Red Pheasant Chief Clint Wuttunee said in an interview on Thursday.

"There's an uneasiness, there's tension," he said. "We like to think that our community is a safe place."

Saskatchewan RCMP continue to investigate the homicide, but in a Wednesday news release, Red Pheasant Cree Nation accused police of only getting involved when serious and life-threatening problems emerge.

Proactive engagement by RCMP might have prevented the death, said the news release, which was signed by Chief Wuttunee and distributed by the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations on behalf of Red Pheasant.

"Despite pleas for earlier involvement to assist our community in relation to gang and drug violence, the RCMP have become involved in our community when it was far too late," said the First Nation.

"RCMP involvement in our community is always reactive in nature."

Committed to working with communities: RCMP

While the community is mourning the death of the young man, the First Nation said it is unable to rely on support from the RCMP "as a positive resource to help keep our community safe."

"This is a systemic issue that is not … isolated to Red Pheasant," its Wednesday statement said.

"We acknowledge that Red Pheasant Cree Nation is grieving the tragic loss of a community member," Saskatchewan RCMP said in an email to CBC.

The force is "committed to being responsive to a community's specific policing needs," the RCMP statement said, and "consultation and collaboration is key to this."

Officers from the North Battleford detachment not only respond to calls, but also proactively patrol Red Pheasant Cree Nation, along with other communities in the area, RCMP said.

Wuttunee said following Red Pheasant's Wednesday news release, the First Nation received an email from the North Battleford detachment.

The outreach is a positive sign and a step forward, he said, adding he hopes future co-operation will help to prevent similar deaths in the community.

But he said his community has felt abandoned by RCMP in the past — for example, when asking for assistance with border control and security during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The chief also said the First Nation told police about homes where there was suspected drug-related activity and asked RCMP to take action.

According to Wuttunee, that didn't happen.

"Without the RCMP, even if it's a community-driven initiative to try and combat the gang violence and that stuff that's occurring, the handguns, the machine guns are out there," he said.

"Who wants to risk their lives to go into a home in a community that's suspected of gang activity and try and kick those people out? We're scared for our lives for that kind of stuff."

Victim's body left on display' for hours: First Nation 

The First Nation also said in Wednesday's media release that RCMP left the victim's body "on display" for hours, traumatizing children and families.

Red Pheasant criticized that as inaction on the part of RCMP "that would never occur off reserve."

While the area was apparently blocked off by police vehicles and the man's body was covered, Wuttunee said he believes the victim was lying on the ground from around 3 a.m. until the early afternoon.

RCMP said they could not provide specifics due to the ongoing investigation, but in this case, "officer safety reasons existed, which impacted our investigators and the Saskatchewan Coroner's Service from examining the scene — an open road area — immediately," said Saskatchewan RCMP.

RCMP also said a notice was issued Sunday, informing the public about increased police presence at Red Pheasant Cree Nation and advising people to avoid the area. 

Police said resources from multiple units are dedicated to the case, while officers have completed "many interviews."

They ask anyone with information to contact RCMP or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. 

While RCMP said they take all investigations seriously, the First Nation expressed doubt about that in Wednesday's news release.

"For our community and our leadership there is a lack of confidence that the investigation will be treated as seriously as investigations that take place outside of our community."