There is a lack of transparency when people die in police custody — the fate Myles Sanderson met Wednesday after he’d been accused of killing multiple people during a stabbing rampage through Saskatchewan.
His death in RCMP custody means some questions held by grieving family members and a reeling public may never come.
Alberta-based Tom Engel, the Criminal Trial Lawyers’ Association’s policing committee chair, said police in Canada could themselves do more to be transparent in these kinds of situations. There is likely dash cam footage of Sanderson’s arrest, said Engel, audio and video evidence about what exactly happened during those moments around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday along a barren stretch of highway when officers rammed Sanderson’s car and took him into custody.Sanderson can be seen on video footage captured that day with his chest pressed up against a police car as officers hold his arms behind his back. One officer pats him down.
But it could take a long time and the answers given at the end may not be all that revealing, said Engel. Many similar outfits to SIRT in Saskatchewan seem to limit how much information they divulge in their final reports, he said. Kent Roach, a law professor at the University of Toronto who has studied policing, said that the review into the death in custody is just one step in figuring out what happened.
At the very least, a Saskatchewan coroner’s inquest — a provincial public inquiry with a narrower scope than the hearings in Nova Scotia — could allow for more information around how these deaths could have been prevented, said Roach. There could also be exploration of how cultural trauma related to Canada’s residential school system may have played a role, he said.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Tip leads RCMP to Nissan Rogue Myles Sanderson was reported travelling inRCMP received a tip of an unknown man walking on a range road Sunday. The vehicle was located near Crystal Springs Friday morning.
Read more »
Vehicle believed to have been driven by Myles Sanderson found by Sask. RCMP | Globalnews.caRCMP Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore said police located an abandoned black Nissan Rogue approximately four kilometres east of Crystal Springs, Sask.
Read more »
RCMP locate vehicle they believe was used by suspect after mass stabbingSaskatchewan RCMP say they have located original vehicle suspects used after mass stabbing
Read more »
PGSS students saw positive ticketing by RCMP FridayFriday during Prince George Secondary School’s lunch time, representatives from the RCMP and ICBC were offering some positive reinforcement to young drivers who were practicing safe driving skills.
Read more »
Pictou County RCMP officer charged with assault, choking | SaltWireA Pictou County RCMP officer is facing charges of assault and choking after an investigation by Nova Scotia's independent police watchdog. | SaltWire
Read more »