On behalf of United Native Nations (UNN), we are calling upon the Attorney General’s office to proceed with an independent public inquiry into the death of Frank Joseph Paul. the United Native Nations, UBCIC (Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs), First Nations Summit, and the Métis Nation BC signed a letter on January 21, 2004 confirming our collective support of the Police Complaint Commissioner’s recommendation for a public inquiry.
To date, there have only been internal inquiries of the Frank Joseph Paul case, and not a full Public Inquiry. We are calling for the Attorney General’s Office to immediately open a Public Inquiry into the death of Frank Joseph Paul as a result of being in police custody.
There have been several deaths of Aboriginal people while in police custody across Canada, including seventeen year old Neil Stonechild in Saskatoon. The province of Saskatchewan concluded a Public Inquiry in 2004, observing that the public will have no faith in the complaints process as long as the Saskatoon Police Department conducts internal complaints reviews.
It is unacceptable that the Vancouver Police Department investigates itself without the full scrutiny of an impartial Public Inquiry, especially in the cases of Aboriginal deaths in custody. The lack of public accountability for Frank Joseph Paul’s death is indicative of systemic racism towards Aboriginal peoples in Canada.
For more information, please contact David Dennis, UNN Vice President at 604 868-4287.
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