John Joseph Harper

John Joseph "J.J." Harper (December 30, 1951 – March 9, 1988) was a Canadian aboriginal leader from Wasagamack, Manitoba, who was shot and killed by Winnipeg police constable Constable Robert Cross on March 9, 1988.[1] That event, along with the murder of Helen Betty Osborne, sparked the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry.[2]

John Joseph Harper
see caption
Born
John Joseph Harper

(1951-12-30)30 December 1951
Wasagamack, Manitoba, Canada
Died9 March 1988(1988-03-09) (aged 36)
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Children3

During an altercation between Police and Harper, Cross shot and killed Harper. It was initially ruled an accident; however, a strong public outcry lead to the Native American Justice Inquiry. The inquiry eventually concluded that Cross had used excessive force in the fatal confrontation.[3]

Personal life

Harper was a member of the Wasagamack First Nation. He was also executive director of the Island Lake Tribal Council and a leader in Manitoba's indigenous community. He and his wife Lois had three children together.[4] On August 2, 2008, over 20 years after Harper was killed,[5] his nephew Craig McDougall was also shot and killed by Winnipeg Police.[6]

Legacy

Harper's shooting was described in a 1999 book, Cowboys & Indians: The Killing of J.J. Harper, written by Winnipeg Free Press columnist Gordon Sinclair Jr., and later a 2003 television movie by the same name. It was directed by Norma Bailey and starred Adam Beach as Harper.[7]

References
  1. "Inquiry needed into police violence against Indigenous peoples". Canadian Dimension. 22 April 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  2. Sawatzky, Wendy (2003-03-07). "J.J. Harper: 15 Years Later". CBC News. Retrieved 2008-08-13.
  3. "The recent past". The City of Winnipeg. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  4. "The Death of John Joseph Harper". The Aboriginal Justice Implementation Commission. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  5. "McDougall inquest delayed after witness changes account of police shooting". CBC News. 8 August 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  6. "'Police shot JJ Harper's nephew'". CTV News. 4 August 2008. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  7. Cowboys and Indians: The J.J. Harper Story, Internet Movie Database
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