Killing of Jared Lowndes

Jared Lowndes, a member of the Wetʼsuwetʼen First Nations, was 38 years old at the time of his death. He had two children and also had familial ties to the Homalco First Nation.[2] He spent most of his life in Vancouver, but had lived in Campbell River for six years at the time of his death.[3] He had previously alleged harassment and mistreatment by the RCMP; in January 2021 he wrote an open letter alleging that he had been denied food and subjected to degrading conditions in custody in North Fraser Pretrial detention, and that he was worried the RCMP were going to kill him.[2] His conviction and detention in 2020 related to firearms offenses from 2013.[4]

At least 3 officers of the Campbell River RCMP were involved in the shooting. However, their identity has not yet been published by the RCMP or the Independent Investigations Office.[1] Even basic facts such as how many officers opened fire have not yet been released.[5]

On the same day Lowndes was killed, the Independent Investigations Office, which is mandated to look into police use of force in British Columbia, launched an investigation led by Chief Civilian Director Ronald J. MacDonald.[6][10][5] In December 2022 they released a statement that "reasonable grounds exist to believe that three officers may have committed offences in relation to various uses of force. As a result, and pursuant to Section 38.11 of the Police Act, the IIO is preparing a report to be submitted to the BC Prosecution Service for consideration of charges in the coming months."[11][1][2]

Days after the killing, the First Nations Leadership Council released a statement condemning it and calling for accountability from the RCMP.[12][13] Grand Chief Stewart Phillip called it the latest in a number of racist and dehumanizing killings of Indigenous people in the province.[4] The National Police Federation, on the other hand, released a statement that Lowndes would still be alive if he had complied with police orders.[12][14] This was condemned by community activists, as well as the fact that the RCMP had commemorated the death of the police dog but not Lowndes himself.[14][15]

A demonstration in Campbell River on the anniversary of Lowndes' death

Lowndes' friends and family have become the main advocates for his cause after his killing.[7] His mother, Laura Holland, has been a key activist; she publicly described him as a loving man who did not deserve to die the way he did.[14][16][2] Holland has called for a public inquest into her son's death and for the introduction of police body cameras in British Columbia.[4] Ketisha Hackett, the mother of Lowndes' children, has also spoken publicly about his killing, stating that it was cruel and unnecessary.[3] Activists and critics also condemned the over-reliance on police dogs and the RCMP's rapid escalation to using deadly force in interactions with the public.[4] Activists staged a protest in Campbell River on the anniversary of Lowndes' death, which ended outside the Campbell River RCMP building.[7] For their part, the RCMP alleged that criminal elements were involved in the protest and that they were launching an investigation into it.[7]

Holland released a statement after the IIO's December 2022 press release, stating that the IIO's decision affirmed what she and her family already knew about the wrongness of the RCMP officers' actions.[2] Organizations such as the Pivot Legal Society and the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association expressed their support for the IIO's decision as well.[2] However, advocates also stated that they were losing faith in the IIO, which already had multiple investigations open about the Campbell River RCMP with few consequences and no apparent change in policing techniques.[7] Holland and other family members participated in a memorial art event at Gallery Gachet in Vancouver in March 2023.[17] A website Justice For Jared was also created to draw attention to his case.[18]