Mounties to Avoid Charges in 2021 Killing of Indigenous Man
Three Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers in British Columbia have been cleared of charges in the fatal shooting of Jared Lowndes, a 38-year-old Indigenous man, in 2021, according to the victim’s mother.
The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. completed an investigation into the incident and submitted its findings to provincial prosecutors in October 2022. While the contents of the report remain confidential, the agency indicated that reasonable grounds existed to charge the officers involved.
However, the B.C. Prosecution Service ultimately decided not to pursue charges. Lowndes’ mother, Laura Holland, expressed her disappointment and determination to continue her fight for justice.
The incident occurred on July 8, 2021, when at least one officer opened fire on Lowndes in the parking lot of a Tim Hortons in Campbell River, B.C. Lowndes, a Wet’suwet’en man, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The outcome of this case has raised concerns about police accountability and the disproportionate number of Indigenous people who are killed or injured during interactions with law enforcement. The B.C. Prosecution Service has not yet provided an official statement on its decision not to lay charges.
