Kinngait RCMP service was 'grossly inadequate,' says RCMP watchdog report on violent arrest

A Kinngait, Nunavut, man knocked down by an RCMP vehicle during an arrest in 2020, and later violently assaulted in a holding cell by another inmate, wasn't taken to the health centre for 16 hours, a report from the RCMP's watchdog says.

That was among several findings made by the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CCRC) in a report released earlier this week. 

The RCMP detachment in Kinngait provided "grossly inadequate" service, according to the CRCC.

"The level of under‑resourcing observed is such that it raises concerns about possible systemic discrimination," the report said. 

As a result of the report, the Kinngait detachment will be entirely replaced. It will have eight cells and will be built over the next several years, according to Nunavut RCMP Chief Supt. Andrew Blackadar. 

The commission launched a complaint and investigation following the June 2020 incident, which was caught on camera and drew national attention.

'Quite dire' situation in Kinngait, says report

The 22-year-old man, identified as A.B. in the report, was placed in a cell with an inmate who had just been pepper sprayed. The commission found that that man, referred to as J.J., had been washing his eyes out with toilet water because his cell didn't have running water and an eyewash bottle was in another room. 

"Despite this having been known to the RCMP for at least two years, the toilets and sinks had still not been replaced," the report said. 

"The man, who was seriously injured and still in his underwear, was then left for over ten hours in a cell covered in blood, water and various bodily fluids."

A.B. was medevaced to Iqaluit after he was brought to the health centre the following day, after business hours. 

The report said the Kinngait detachment officers made "considerable efforts to manage a nearly impossible workload within constraints that created unsafe situations" that night. 

"This case has shown that the situation in Kinngait is quite dire," the report said. 

The Kinngait detachment received 37 calls that night and had five officers on staff.

The RCMP officers involved refused to be interviewed by the commission. The officer driving the police vehicle, Const. Michael Keeling, submitted a written statement. 

The commission did not find any evidence that the RCMP officers intended to strike A.B. with the vehicle door. It did find that police "had reasonable grounds" to arrest him at that time.

The report also said that it was unsafe and unreasonable for Keeling to have driven the police vehicle in such close proximity to A.B. 

Report makes 20 recommendations

The report makes 36 findings and 20 recommendations to the RCMP. They include that the RCMP should implement training related to the use of police vehicles while pursuing suspects on foot, receive training on driving in poor conditions, and consider replacing the Kinngait detachment. 

In its response to the report, the RCMP accepted many of the commission's findings. 

A.B. was also not given the chance to speak with legal counsel on that night in 2020, a right given to people arrested under Section 10 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

Qajaq Robinson, a lawyer and former commissioner with the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls called the report "shocking."

"I think it revealed a lot that we didn't know anything about, that was not publicly available to anybody," Robinson said.

Robinson agreed with the recommendations to rebuild the detachment and increase resources to the RCMP.

"The lack of resources created a dangerous situation, so those definitely need to be addressed."

Robinson also pointed to the fact that this incident was caught on video. 

"I think it's worrisome. If it hadn't been for a person who pulled out their cellphone and recorded those few minutes of this young man's interaction with the police, we wouldn't know anything," she said. 

"It makes me worry about how much happens that we don't know about and don't hear about."

15 people lodged in detachment with just 4 cells

That night, 15 people were lodged in the detachment, which only has four cells. One cell was used for a female prisoner, while nine other prisoners were lodged in the three remaining cells. 

Others were placed in the interview room, while one was placed in the back of a police vehicle when members went to calls.

"Contrary to RCMP policy, prisoners who suffered from mental health issues that could make them a danger to themselves or others were not housed on their own, due to capacity issues," the report said. 

They determined that placing A.B. in the cell with J.J. was the "least worst" option. 

Blackadar said he welcomed the report and that it makes "some meaningful recommendations."

"I think it's very important to remember ... just what our members faced that night and ongoing in Kinngait, but also in other communities across the North."

There are now seven police officers in the community and the RCMP plans to add more, Blackadar said. 

Blackadar said the RCMP has received more funding from the Nunavut government since the incident.

As for the failures pointed out by the commission, Blackadar said he plans to work with the community.

"We have ensured specific operational guidance to a number of our members who maybe aren't following policy, aren't following the charter," Blackadar said. 

"We have to make sure that our ... people that we deal with are still afforded the same right as everybody else."