Maria Canton
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jun 28/99) - Nine people were held in custody and one was pepper sprayed after Fort Smith RCMP responded to a noise complaint at a graduation party last week.

The party was taking place at a private residence and witnesses and members of the community say police used excessive force in handling the situation.

Since the altercation, the town's mayor has received numerous complaints from concerned parents asking him to look into the matter.

"Parents were coming to me with their concerns and we decided going to a complaint's commissioner would be the best way to handle the situation," says Mayor Peter Martselos.

"I don't want to point any fingers and I'm not sure what exactly happened or didn't happen."

Together with the two local band leaders, the mayor has written a letter asking for an investigation into the RCMP's actions on June 17.

A meeting has been scheduled between the district commander for the Western Arctic Policing District South, Staff Sgt. Jack Kruger, Salt River First Nation Chief Nora Beaver, Metis president Gord Villebrun and Mayor Peter Martselos on Wednesday of this week.

"The town and Chief Beaver and the president of the Metis Nation have some concerns about the enforcement in Fort Smith and until we sit down and talk about it, we can't really say anything," said Kruger, who works out of Hay River.

As a result of the altercation on the night of June 17, one adult and one youth were charged under the Fort Smith noise bylaw, one charge of unlawful consumption of liquor was laid, as well as three charges under the controlled substances act and one charge of resisting arrest.