Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said today he has “serious questions” about the arrest of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam after viewing recently released dashcam video that shows an RCMP officer jump-tackling the chief to the ground and punching him in the head.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said today he has “serious questions” about the arrest of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam after viewing recently released dashcam video that shows an RCMP officer jump-tackling the chief to the ground and punching him in the head.
“We have all now seen the shocking video of Chief Adam’s arrest and we must get to the bottom of this,” Trudeau said during his daily briefing in Ottawa this morning.
“Like many people, I have serious questions about what happened. The independent investigation must be transparent and be carried out so that we get answers.
“At the same time, though, we also know that this is not an isolated incident. Far too many Black Canadians and Indigenous people do not feel safe around police. It’s unacceptable. And as governments, we have to change that.”
RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki issued a statement Friday saying she is committed to rooting out racism among the ranks. She acknowledged that, in several interviews this week, she struggled to say definitively that systemic racism exists in the RCMP.
“I did acknowledge that we, like others, have racism in our organization, but I did not say definitively that systemic racism exists in the RCMP. I should have,” Lucki said.
“As many have said, I do know that systemic racism is part of every institution, the RCMP included. Throughout our history and today, we have not always treated racialized and Indigenous people fairly.”
The prime minister said Mounties themselves need to be part of the solution.
“They are people who have stepped up to serve their community,” he said. “And they will be invaluable allies as we move forward to make sure that all Canadians are well-served by these institutions.”
Adam went public over the weekend, alleging that he was beaten during his arrest outside a Fort McMurray, Alta., casino early the morning of March 10.
On Thursday, CBC News obtained a nearly 12-minute video of his arrest. In the video, Adam swears repeatedly at the police officers, accuses the RCMP of harassing him and removes his jacket.
WATCH | RCMP dashcam footage of Chief Allan Adam arrest:
WARNING: Video contains graphic content
RCMP dashcam footage shows the arrest of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam in March. The video shows an arriving officer jump-tackling the chief to the ground without warning, punching him in the head and putting him in a chokehold. 5:27
About seven minutes into the incident, one officer tries to grab Adam’s left arm in what looks to be an attempt to arrest him.
Then, another officer runs up and jump-tackles Adam to the ground. The second officer punches Adam in the head as he continues to struggle and, a few seconds later, places him in a chokehold.
Scheer calls video ‘troubling’
An affidavit filed in court along with the video quotes the notes of Const. Simon Seguin.
“I charged at the male [Adam] with the intention of bringing him to the ground,” Seguin wrote in his notes. “I struck the male as he tried to come up. He turned on his right side. I struck him using my right hand on his right side of the face.
“I wrapped my h