Chief warns police of elder abuse backlash
Says there could be trouble if officer accused of injuring his mother remains on duty
Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Published Monday, October 6, 2014
DENINU KU'E/FORT RESOLUTION
The chief of Fort Resolution is warning the RCMP that keeping an officer accused of assaulting an elder on active duty may lead to trouble.
Sharon Lafferty holds two signs at a small protest outside the RCMP detachment in Fort Resolution on Sept. 29. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo |
"There is still a lot of animosity toward the RCMP," said Deninu Ku'e First Nation Chief Louis Balsillie, who is the son of 71-year-old Loretta Edjericon.
Family members say she was elbowed in the face and pinned to a wall while police searched her home for a woman wanted for breaching probation, Sept. 20.
The chief has sent a letter to territorial Justice Minister David Ramsay requesting that the officer who allegedly elbowed his mother be removed from duty until the RCMP's investigation of the incident is over.
"Like I have some nephews in the community, they get into the sauce and they can raise some trouble," said Balsillie. "If the RCMP was to come toward them, I'm pretty sure you're going to have a bad incident with them. They'll probably try to fight with them."
There was no word as of Oct. 2 on what the RCMP plans to do - if anything - about the alleged assault.
According to Const. Elenore Sturko, a spokesperson for the RCMP's 'G' Division in Yellowknife, an investigation into the incident is underway and there was nothing to report. Police have yet to identify the officer by name.
"The investigation is still ongoing," she said.
Sturko confirmed the officer involved is still on active duty in Fort Resolution.
The RCMP investigation is being carried out by a senior officer from within G Division.
Ramsay did not return calls requesting comment by press time.
Tu Nedeh MLA Tom Beaulieu, who is originally from Fort Resolution and serves on cabinet with Ramsay, said he has stayed in close contact with Balsillie in wake of the incident.
Beaulieu said he tried to get an update regarding the investigation from the office of 'G' Division superintendent Ron Smith on Friday morning, however, no one had returned his calls by press time.
Beaulieu said he is not calling for any action to be taken against the officer until the RCMP have completed its investigation.
However, if the allegations prove true he said he would ask that there be serious consequences for the officer involved.
"If this has happened, then for sure I will be dealing with it in a way where those individuals would have to be dealt with appropriately," he said.
In earlier comments to News/North, Margo Edjericon said her mother sustained a black eye and heavy bruising on her arm after two officers barged into their home just after 2 p.m. on Sept. 20.
Margo Edjericon said she herself was pinned to the floor by one of the officers.
"I couldn't believe that they would come into my mom's house and what they did," she told News/North.
"They manhandled me, they manhandled my mom, they threw her against the wall."
The people of Fort Resolution had a chance to express their feelings about the alleged incident at a demonstration on Sept. 29.
However, only two people showed up to carry signs and walk peacefully back and forth for a half-hour in front of the RCMP detachment.
"I did expect more people," said Sharon Lafferty, organizer of the demonstration. "A lot of people were thanking me for organizing it, saying that they do want to stop elder abuse in the community."
Lafferty said she was not disappointed with the turnout, pointing to some rain showers as one possible reason some people didn't attend.
"The message is across," she said. "I'm sure that the cops are peeking out their window and now they know that we don't condone it. Fort Resolution doesn't condone elder abuse."
Some people had said they would show up for the demonstration but didn't.
"I just think that people don't really want to protest against the RCMP," she said. "They probably feel that there may be repercussions."
Despite the low turnout for the protest, many people in Fort Resolution are said to be still upset by the incident at the Edjericon home.
Balsillie said he has no explanation for the small turnout at the protest, although he noted there was a meeting that night concerning bylaws for the Hamlet of Fort Resolution.
