Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
Serving the Norman Region since 1961
Wednesday, November 11, 2020
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Volume 60 • Issue 46
City and RCMP being sued by woman who was punched by community safety officer in 2018 while being detained The City of Thompson Attorney General of Can- and aggressive.” and the RCMP are being ada, community safety Manitoba’s police watchsued by a woman from officers Garrett Allen and dog, the Independent InTataskweyak Cree Nation Thomas Warkentin as well vestigation Unit, which who was punched and as RCMP Const. Jenelle investigates allegations of knocked out by one of the Hulan. The allegations the serious misconduct by polawsuit makes have not yet lice officers in the province city’s community safety officers after being taken been proven in court. while on and off duty, does Thompson city manager not have jurisdiction over to the Thompson RCMP detachment cell block for Anthony McInnis told the community safety officers, being intoxicated in public, CBC he could not speak which a former head of OnCBC has reported. specifically about the Janu- tario’s police watchdog told The incident occurred in ary 2018 incident because the CBC should be changed. early January 2018 after of the ongoing lawsuit but Gupta said the IPDA is Genesta Garson, then 19 that neither of the two men applied disproportionately years old, was picked up by named are still employed as against Indigenous people two community safety ofcommunity safety officers in Thompson, where it is ficers outside the Northern Thompson Citizen photo courtesy of CBC and that only one of them is used frequently. Through Inn on suspicion of being Surveillance video from the Thompson RCMP detachment shows a City of Thompson still a city employee. Allen the first nine months of drunk. community safety officer punching Genesta Garson in January 2018 while she was being was contacted by the CBC 2020, Thompson RCMP Garson was detained but declined to comment. A had responded to 4,340 pubdetained on suspicion of being intoxicated in public. Garson has filed a lawsuit against under the Intoxicated Perstatement of defence filed lic disorder calls, including sons Detention Act (IPDA), the RCMP and the city. by the city alleges that Gar- detention of intoxicated which allows police and on her chin and the side of that the officers who visited In addition to the City of son was “actively combat- people. CBC said figures community safety officers, her head and that she had Garson’s home may have Thompson and the RCMP, ive” while being detained, provided by the RCMP who have the power to en- lost consciousness for about ben trying to informally re- the lawsuit, which alleges the CBC says, while the showed that 27,000 people force some provincial stat- 10 seconds, CBC reported. solve her complaint, which Garson was discriminated RCMP statement of defence had been detained under the ues as well as city bylaws, The records also say that is a normal part of the com- against because she is In- characterized her behaviour IPDA in Thompson over the to take people who are be- she “struck officer with her plaint process. digenous, also names the as “erratic, uncooperative, past five years. lieved to be intoxicated in belt, so got punched in the public to the RCMP holding face.” cells until they are sober, Garson told CBC that she though they aren’t formally had drunk a few beers that arrested. night but was detained afRequired to remove all ter slipping on the ice and but one layer of clothes that she felt uncomfortable and her bra for safety rea- when asked to take off sons before being put in a her bra. She said she gave holding cell, Garson was her “soft, thin” belt to the The community safety offi- be reviewed and the appro- immediately inform him and expanding safe and attainable removing clothing while safety officer so fast that he cer (CSO) who punched Gen- priate response determined the public safety manager housing and shelter options supervised by the male thought she was trying to esta Garson in the Thompson once it is received through of any future use-of-force for people experiencing vulcommunity safety officers hit him. nerabilities; and renewing and a female RCMP offiGarson was later charged RCMP detachment cell block the courts as part of lawsuit incidents. in January 2018 was cleared proceedings against the city, Other steps have been and better maintaining the cer in the processing area with assaulting an officer of the cell block when she but lawyer Rohit Gupta of any wrongdoing by an the RCMP, the CSOs and an taken to change the way pub- environment in Thompson lic safety in general and inci- to improve how people can appear to strike one of the took her case pro bono and RCMP use-of-force expert RCMP constable. when the City of Thompson Noting that there have dents involving alcohol abuse connect to strengthen social safety officers with her belt, the charge was later stayed. was informed of the incident are addressed in Thompson, cohesion. been significant changes a surveillance video from Gupta also helped Garson The province has also the detachment obtained by file a formal complaint seven months after the fact. among city council and in including the development The city said in a Nov. 10 the city administration since of a public safety and com- committed $2.8 million toCBC through a court appli- against the RCMP with cation shows. The officer the Civilian Review and press release that neither the the incident occurred near- munity well-being strategy wards the establishment of then punched Garson and Complaints Commission in mayor nor the city manager at ly three years ago, the press in consultation with 20 com- a sobering centre in Thompher head hit the wall and she November 2018. The com- the time were informed about release highlighted several munity organizations and the son to provide a safe and secure space for non-violent fell to the floor unconscious. plaint named Gupta as the the incident until August changes that have been made help of independent conNickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham 2018 when Manitoba Justice regarding the community sultants Community Safety intoxicated people to sober Her pants were then reRCMP’s formal contact for Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. moved by the RCMP officer that process but Garson said contacted the city’s director safety officer program since Knowledge Alliance. Central up under trained supervision. fireI’m andjust public safetyright?’ about that of May this strategy reducing cityharsh says, weather will reand she was dragged by her she wasthings visited repeatedly BY IAN GRAHAM For the all the to write that you have of ‘Oh, as bad, was time. not aAs very safe 2020, thing to swallow when is people say This, it. The public safety director supervision of the CSOs the role of conventional law duce the involvement law arms into one of the holding to byfiseveral different RCMP EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET gure out. It’s pretty clear I have all these stories and to do but I jumped at it. I that Churchill residents and the dangers of of polar contacted thethem RCMP, in the responsibility of the should enforcement in somewhere addressing bears, enforcement in dealing cells. She was officers onthrough.” multiple occa- Ithen Though she’sagain now pushed written when I get need to capture for thought that was exciting just find deMeulles said with if it told him the safety offi- public safety manager, health peopleshe and help tobook the floor when tried to sions in Split said Lakeshe until she who a about hershe experienDeMeulles wrote my grandchildren really until the plane landed who and mental easier to live. and public in- intoxicated had been viable would cer had been cleared of any ensures proper oversight toxication. Other priorities connect those addicted to leave the holding before her signed a form ces growing up incell Churchill, book, titledwithdrawing Whispers in because they will be lost if they started throwing the “To say, ‘Those people have moved back to Churchinappropriate actions by the and that mandated training, include lessening youth exalcohol with social services the exiting officers closed the complaint, an action she Addictions Foundation of the Wind: Stories from the I don’t.” fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. use-of-force expert. including and posure crimes as victims, help addressI the door behind them. Gar- North said she took Manitoba northern director - Life in because Churchillshe for RCMP’s She also has a reputation cats, I wasuse-of-force probably sitting should to just leave,’ is quite that “I can miss thethem shoreline, Security footage of the cultural proficiency training, witnesses and perpetrators; their addictions. son remained in the cell for afelt bullied and pressured as a storyteller herself. Gisele deMeulles said writcouple of reasons. on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disre- miss the rock, I miss the Thompcompleted. City manager driving de- polar “Webears need toeven recognize that 15 paramedics police. ingminutes wasn’t until something she by“Ithe just sort of thought, incident “I had from such athe varied his- is Another thing that reducing spectful. factors If we were in the though cellstell obtained Anthony McInnis on police resources are working to fix issues arrived and transported her you RCMP District always thought she would know North what, this his- son tory RCMP and I would people spurred her on will was conthe mand same boat in another area we they’re very dangerous and CBCand was notwould provided an investigation into from social disorderscream calls; over three decades in the on a stretcher to Thompson commander do. tory, this stuffSupt. that’sKevin in my by hard times facing Churchill I think we would I really miss the Hudson stories they go, duct to the city at that time and the incident with the public enhancing experiences of making, but with a sustained, General Hospital treat- head, Lewisit’s toldgoing CBCtohe “In my youth for I never becould gone ‘That’s not true, is it?’ I’d go, since the Hudson Bay Rail- about that so why don’t they Bay,” she says. “When I go the current administration safetysuspended manager and the city’s have socialthe inclusion anddojustice committed we will see ment.good Hospital records from not say ifwrite thereithad beenshe an ‘Yeah felt at writing,” she if I don’t down,” it’s true.’ They’d go, way option to that? back home,effort, standing on the operations viewing of that, it for did the human resources department reducing racism aHudson safer, healthier Thompson,” that visit show thatI Garson internal investigasaid. “But when moved said. ‘You didn’tparts do all “MyRCMP kids are not go- is north of Gillam last spring. and I think rightsystemic now they’re Bay looking out on Thegot fulltovideo will and“Ithasused askedtothat other forms of racism; Mayor Colleen hadThompson a cut on her lip, bruising tiontointo and to to get into ing get the it ifincident I don’t do it first you?time. You’ve be really bethe a RCMP really and feeling like they’re pawns said the bay, it just givesSmook. you an
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
Safety officer who punched woman was cleared of wrongdoing by RCMP use-of-force expert, city says
City didn’t learn of incident until seven months after it happened and still hasn’t received all security video footage
the school of social work, at that point I had to write for university and realized, ‘Holy, I’m not bad at this, right?’ I certainly developed a lot of skill in university and came out of there with a very strong skill in my writing and confidence in my writing. I write very clear and that’s it. It’s there. Some people say it’s kind of blunt or direct. I don’t tend
and it’s something I’ve always wanted my mom to do. My mom’s an elder and she’s an artist, she’s got so many wonderful stories because she always tells her stories at Parks Canada in Churchill and I’ve always hounded her, ‘Please, just put it on tape, I will write it for you because your story is going to be lost,’ and she’s never done it and I thought,
old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually thriving large community I did all that before I was and it’s just dwindled down 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” to such a small population Looking back, some of now,” deMeulles says. those experiences are things Though she’s not there she might not do again. any longer, her parents and “I did some pretty bizarre her sister and other family stuff like fuel hauls into the members still are. high Arctic at -35,” said “My cousin owns the deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn hardware store there,” she on me untilwww.normannorthstars.com after. That was a says. very dangerous thing to do. Because of that, Being on a plane full of fuel deMeulles finds it hard to
in a political game and that’s really sad for them because I think the people of Churchill really want to thrive. They’ve built their worlds there. How would we feel if someone came to you and said, ‘I’m sorry, you have to leave your home community and we’re going to displace you somewhere else and all your loved ones and your history is gone?’”
COVID-19 NOTICE
incredible sense. You feel so small and you feel great.” Now that she’s got one book under her belt, deMeulles says she may try to produce another. “I have another book in me,” she says. “It’s a darker story, more about personal growth and struggles. Maybe in the next five years it’s something I’ll focus on doing.”
DUE TO THE STATUS OF COVID-19 IN MANITOBA, GAMES WILL BE POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.