Sask. First Nations groups call for inquiry, accountability following report into baby's death
CBC
First Nations leaders and a grieving mother say a recent report into the death of infant Tanner Brass doesn't go far enough.
They're calling for an inquiry, criminal charges against a number of Prince Albert, Sask., police officers and the release of all the recordings and documentation in the case.
Tanner's mother, Kyla Frenchman, attended a news conference in Saskatoon with First Nations leaders on Friday. She did not speak, but was wrapped in a ceremonial blanket.
"They failed Kyla, an Indigenous woman, and her child. We need answers. We need the Prince Albert Police Service to be held accountable," Frenchman's lawyer, Eleanore Sunchild, said.
Sunchild said Tanner's death was caused by both negligence and racism.
Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron agreed.
"This isn't over. It ain't over by a long shot," Cameron said. "What they did is despicable."
A report released this week by Saskatchewan's Public Complaints Commission (PCC) relied on evidence from the responding officers, in-car video recordings, audio recording of a 911 call, dispatch records, cellphone records, CCTV recordings, autopsy reports, policy documents and other elements.
The Prince Albert Police Service (PAPS) requested an investigation because of concerns that officers' actions — or inaction — resulted in the death.
The report found that in February 2022, Frenchman made a 911 call from a neighbour's phone to police and told them her baby was in danger. She told the operator that the baby's father, Kaij Brass, was intoxicated and had assaulted her when she tried to get her baby and belongings.
Police were dispatched to a Prince Albert home. Police took Frenchman to the police station, but declined to enter the home to check on Tanner.
Several hours later, officers were called back to the residence by a man who said he'd killed the infant. Tanner was found dead, and officers arrested Kaij Brass. He is charged with second-degree murder. None of the allegations have been tested in court.
On Thursday, hours after the release of the report, Prince Albert police Chief Jonathan Bergen announced his retirement. The FSIN, Sunchild and others have been calling for Bergen to be fired or resign for months.
Bergen said he and his family have faced relentless harassment and criticism over the past few years, much of it from within the force. He said it would be difficult to discipline these two officers or take other action because it would be seen as vindictive, given his own unpopularity.
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