RCMP officer's social media posts prompt calls for suspension from First Nation chief
A British Columbia First Nation is calling for the suspension and removal of an RCMP officer from Bella Bella over social media posts he made before joining the Mounties.
Heiltsuk Tribal Council Chief Marilyn Slett says in a letter to the Bella Bella detachment of the RCMP that the officer posted "racist text and images."
Supt.-Cmdr. Brian Edmonds of North District RCMP says in a statement the force is aware of the concerns and a "non-conduct-related administrative process" involving the officer is underway.
Slett's letter includes images of social media posts showing a white man wearing an Afro-style wig with a caption saying "BLACK AND PROUD."
Another social media post shows a man dressed in a colonial-style uniform in front of a Union Jack, with a comment: "Now, what's to be done about these pesky natives stirring up trouble in the colonies."
Slett says Heiltsuk leaders met with RCMP officials earlier this week, but the officer remains on duty in Bella Bella.
She said RCMP officials told them a transfer process was underway for the officer but it could take 45 to 90 days to complete.
"It is unacceptable for police officers serving in Indigenous communities to have these kinds of attitudes," said Slett's letter to the detachment. "This is an urgent community safety issue. Our nation has zero tolerance towards racism in our community."
Edmonds said in his statement on Friday that the RCMP was "committed to finding the right balance between addressing the concerns through a fair process and the importance of individuals (and) community having trust and confidence in their police officers and the RCMP."
Edmonds said the social media posts were made "approximately nine to 17 years" before the officer joined the RCMP.
There have been recent tensions between the Heiltsuk and police.
Heiltsuk Nation member Maxwell Johnson was wrongly arrested and handcuffed in 2019 with his then-12-year-old granddaughter outside a Vancouver bank, triggering a human rights complaint against the Vancouver Police Board.
A trauma-healing ceremony was conducted in the community in 2022 after a settlement was reached.
But the two officers who arrested Johnson and his granddaughter did not attend, prompting a Heiltsuk chief to return a gift he received from Vancouver police Chief Adam Palmer at the ceremony.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 24, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6940995.1719358769!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Things a pediatrician would never let their child do
As summer begins for most children around Canada, CTV News spoke with a number of pediatric health professionals about the best practices for raising kids, and how the profession has evolved since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Should he stay or should he go now? A look at Trudeau's options after byelection loss
A historic defeat for the Liberals in a downtown Toronto byelection has put a glaring question mark on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's political future. Here's a look at the options Trudeau and the Liberals face as they enter a summer of soul-searching.
Alabama man denied office after winning election reaches proposed settlement to become town's first Black mayor
An Alabama town and a Black man who was prevented from becoming its mayor after winning his 2020 election have reached a proposed settlement, according to federal court documents.
'Why did I have this surgery?' Ont. mother seeks answers after son's tonsil surgery
An Ontario mother said it looked like a horror movie when she flicked on the lights of her son’s bedroom to find him projectile vomiting blood after his tonsils were removed at McMaster Children’s Hospital.
Many older adults are still taking daily aspirin, even though some shouldn't be, experts say
Some seniors continue to take a daily aspirin in the hopes of reducing their cardiovascular disease risk, even though the practice is only recommended for certain high-risk patients -- and taking it without a doctor's recommendation can come with significant risks.
Ukraine's Zelenskyy scolds officials who shirk their duties in the country's war effort
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signalled Wednesday that he is getting tough on officials he suspects are shirking their duties in the war with Russia that is now in its third year.
New experience in Halifax gets people up close and personal to the ocean's most feared predator
Atlantic Shark Expeditions launched a new shark cage experience which gives brave attendees a chance to get up close and personal with the oceans most feared predator.
Pre-med students can't take MCAT in Quebec because of Bill 96
Areeba Ahmed says she's always dreamed of becoming a surgeon but her road to the operating room has become a complicated one ever since Quebec's French language law came into effect.
Suspected North Korean hypersonic missile exploded in flight, South Korea says
A suspected hypersonic missile launched by North Korea exploded in flight on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, as North Korea protests the regional deployment of a U.S. aircraft carrier for a military drill with South Korea and Japan.