Current Problems

Justice (25-42)

Indigenous deaths in Winnipeg

January 28, 2021

Southern Chief’s Organization – Through consultation with the Crown’s Office and an expert on the use of lethal force in police services, officials say they did not find justification to lay criminal charges against the officer who shot and killed Eishia. The Independent Investigation Unit Only eleven hours after Eishia’s killing, the police shot and killed Jason Collins, a father of three children. Ten days later, Stewart Andrews, a 22 year-old father was shot by police on April 18, 2020, also in Winnipeg. All three shooting victims were First Nation citizens.

Two more inquires will now begin, one by the chief medical examiner and one by the Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth, who can begin their investigation as the criminal investigation and proceedings by the IIU have closed. The family of Eishia Hudson is also calling for the following:

  • An independent assessment by outside counsel into the findings of the IIU investigation and report that is unbiased, to provide an impartial opinion on the report.
  • The chief medical examiner’s inquest to be comprehensive and address systemic problems.
  • A comprehensive public inquiry into the shooting that can address systemic racism of police interactions with Indigenous people.