Daughter speaks out after Mounties charged in death of Indigenous man in Prince George
Daughter speaks out after Mounties charged in death of Indigenous man in Prince George
CTV News has learned that four of five RCMP officers facing charges in the death of an Indigenous man during an arrest in Prince George are still on active duty.
35-year-old Dale Culver went into medical distress after being tackled to the ground and pepper-sprayed by officers as he exited a store in July of 2017.
Grainy cell phone video shot in the dark by witnesses shows several people in a scuffle on the ground as more RCMP vehicles arrive with their lights and sirens activated.
After Culver complained of shortness of breath when placed in an RCMP cruiser, paramedics were called, but he would die in hospital a short time later.
"We see these continued occurrences in Canada where racialized people, especially First Nations people, get killed or harmed in grievous ways,” said Meghan McDermott of the BC Civil Liberties Association.
More than five and a half years after Culver lost his life that night in Prince George, two Mounties have been charged with manslaughter and three others face charges of attempting to obstruct justice for allegedly trying to delete cell phone video shot by witnesses.
Lily Speed-Namox, Culver’s oldest daughter, was 14 at the time of her father’s death.
The now-20-year-old carries some of her father’s cremated ashes in a necklace around her neck.
"I literally and figuratively carry him in my heart,” Speed-Namox said. "So, part of him did, I guess, get to see me graduate. It would have been nice to actually have him there, but it was good to know he was there with me in spirit."
While she’s happy to learn of the charges against the officers involved, she is disappointed in the length of time it has taken the justice system to get to this point.
The Independent Investigations Office, B.C.’s civilian body responsible for police oversight, first delivered a report to Crown recommending charges in July of 2019.
"I hope no other family has to wait this long for justice for their family member. In any other circumstances, if the roles were reversed, it wouldn't have taken this long,” Speed-Namox said.
Culver’s son was four years old at the time of his death, and his youngest daughter was just six months old.
Speed-Namox is grateful for the cherished memories of her father that she carries with her, but devastated for her younger siblings.
"It's sad that I won't be able to have any of those anymore,” she said. “And my little sister will never get to experience that and my little brother probably won't remember any experiences he did have like that."
Constables Paul Ste-Marie and Jean Francois Monette are charged with manslaughter.
Constables Arthur Dalman and Clarence MacDonald, along with Sgt. Bayani Cruz, stand accused of attempting to obstruct justice.
BC RCMP says Macdonald is on administrative leave for reasons unrelated to the events surrounding Culver’s death and the other four continue to serve in operational active duty roles.
“Their duty status is subject to continuous assessment,” BC RCMP said in a statement. “The RCMP is also seeking to obtain additional information in order to inform our internal processes."
Ottawa Police are investigating an attempted break-in at the residence of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's national security adviser, the second such incident involving one of his top aides in recent months.
When two skiers collided on a beginner run at an upscale Utah ski resort in 2016, no one could foresee that seven years later, the crash would become the subject of a closely watched celebrity trial.
A Toronto man, whose neighbours vanished eight years ago and left their home completely abandoned, said he's fed up living next door to a property that is in complete disarray.
A candidate for the United Conservative Party in southern Alberta has resigned after she posted a video claiming children are being exposed to pornography in schools.
A scientist at CAMH says video games have similar addictive features to gambling which cause social isolation of the individual and dependency on the activity.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered a brief initial response to the final report from the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC) into Canada's worst mass shooting, which claimed the lives of 22 people in Nova Scotia in 2020. Vowing changes will come, here's what Trudeau said in Truro, N.S.
The federal Liberals are trending downward on three key measures while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has surpassed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when it comes to the question of who Canadians would prefer now as their prime minister, according to Nanos Research.
A coroner has denied a request from a former Toronto police officer to explore a theory that a distraught teen he shot was committing "suicide by cop."
A 32-year-old man from Campbell River, B.C., has been sentenced to four years in prison for the beating death of a 59-year-old homeless man in October 2020.
The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) says designated landing zones should be available for aircraft in harbours following a crash between a floatplane and a water taxi in Tofino in 2021.
A candidate for the United Conservative Party in southern Alberta has resigned after she posted a video claiming children are being exposed to pornography in schools.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has yet to answer direct questions about a growing scandal of her alleged interference with the justice system, but her deputy premier has responded the media about the issue.
Calgary police say a 31-year-old woman is charged with aggravated assault in connection with a stabbing that took place following a fight on an LRT platform.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has yet to answer direct questions about a growing scandal of her alleged interference with the justice system, but her deputy premier has responded the media about the issue.
Just one point separates the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings before their game Thursday night, as the players size each other up for another possible playoff battle.
A Toronto man, whose neighbours vanished eight years ago and left their home completely abandoned, said he's fed up living next door to a property that is in complete disarray.
Premier Doug Ford is slamming federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault as a “real piece of work” in the wake of public remarks he made suggesting that Ontario has “no plan to fight climate change.”
Just a week after Airbnb tightened regulations for Quebec listings following a deadly fire, hosts may already be bending the rules. Airbnb now requires its hosts to provide a six-digit policy number with their listing, obtained when a tourist lodging is registered with the provincial government. But a scroll through the Airbnb website suggests users are falsifying their permit numbers to sneak past the authentication process.
It's been two weeks since a major fire ripped through a heritage building in the heart of Old Montreal, killing seven people and forever altering the lives of families across the globe. For the families of those who died, the grieving process is only starting.
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation says the Vatican's rejection of a centuries-old doctrine that justified colonialism is going to change the public's perception of Canadian history.
A judge has acquitted a now-retired priest of forcing himself on a residential school student more than 50 years ago, saying she believes an assault happened but could not determine beyond a reasonable doubt who did it.
Students at the University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine are reluctant to speak up when faculty make racist comments, according to a new report from the human rights commission.
A Mass Casualty Commission report that came out on Thursday following a mass shooting in Nova Scotia in 2020 may have a local impact on the RCMP Depot model being phased out.
A Mass Casualty Commission report that came out on Thursday following a mass shooting in Nova Scotia in 2020 may have a local impact on the RCMP Depot model being phased out.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered a brief initial response to the final report from the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC) into Canada's worst mass shooting, which claimed the lives of 22 people in Nova Scotia in 2020. Vowing changes will come, here's what Trudeau said in Truro, N.S.
Gun policy comments made by then-RCMP commissioner Brenda Lucki in a contentious call to Nova Scotia RCMP officers after the mass shooting in 2020 did not amount to political interference, the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC) final report concludes.
When the store manager at La Noisette Bakery arrived Thursday morning to open the small shop on Oxford Street, she discovered that one of the two large circular windows at the side of their building was shattered.
There are exciting plans for Knox Presbyterian Church in downtown Sudbury. Built in 1927, the former church was sold after its congregation dwindled and will be transformed into a concert hall.
