MEDIA ADVISORY

When:        Thursday, December 1, 2022, at 4:00 PM;
Where:       312 Main Street (outside Main Street entrance), Vancouver BC [Google map] & [Streamed live]
Who:          Laura Holland & Family, supporters of #JusticeForJared

xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil Waututh) / Vancouver, B.C. – On Thursday, December 1, Laura Holland and her family, as well as the BC Civil Liberties Association, Union of BC Indian Chiefs, and Pivot Legal Society, will hold a press conference in response to the final decision of the Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) regarding the investigation of the police-involved killing of Jared Lowndes.

Jared Lowndes, Wet’suwet’en of the Laksilyu Clan, was killed by Campbell River RCMP on July 8, 2021. The IIO opened an investigation into the officer-involved shooting and on Thursday December 1st, almost 1.5 years later, the Chief Civilian Director will disclose the results of his investigation and inform the family in a private meeting. Our hope is that the IIO will find the RCMP involved criminally responsible for the sudden and untimely death of Jared, a father of two. It is time for police officers to be held accountable for the unnecessary use of force that too often results in the death of Indigenous community members.

Since Jared’s death, his mother, family, and a community of supporters have been working non-stop on a public advocacy campaign to bring attention to the killing of Jared, as well as all Indigenous people killed by police and in police custody across Canada. In the 16 months since Jared’s death, there have been 74 reported incidents of in-custody deaths in BC alone. The IIO’s 2021-2022 Annual Report recognized that Indigenous Peoples are over-represented in its investigations into death or serious harm.

Continued systemic racism in policing - including racial profiling and dangerous stereotypes - leads to disturbing rates of death and injury of Indigenous people in police custody. Until police and oversight agencies acknowledge this crisis and law and policy-makers take action, distrust and fear will continue to permeate Indigenous peoples’ interactions with the justice system.

Regardless of the Chief Civilian Director’s final decision, #JusticeForJared and its supporters will continue mobilizing to bring attention to the urgent crisis of police violence that targets Indigenous communities throughout BC and Canada.

Media Contact:

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip
250-490-5314

Taz Khandwani
[email protected]

Background Information and Documents

#JusticeForJared - Campaign Website

Letter to the IIO Re: Jared Lowndes demanding Indigenous involvement & oversight (September 8, 2021)

IIO File 221-179 - Investigation into the police shooting of Jared Lowndes on July 8, 2021