Jagmeet Singh Wants 'Real Action' From Trudeau After Another Person Was Shot By The RCMP
The NDP leader is once again calling for “real action” from the prime minister. Following the death of Rodney Levi in New Brunswick, Jagmeet Singh urged Trudeau to go beyond “empty words" when it comes to tackling systemic racism. This comes just one week after Chantel Moore was shot in the same region.
In a public message on June 13, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh called on the PM to take stronger action when it comes to “systemic racism” in Canada.
His comments come just one day after the death of Rodney Levi, a 48-year-old father of the Red Bank First Nation.
Levi was shot by RCMP officers on June 12, when they attended a scene in the vicinity of Miramichi.
According to a statement issued in French from the Bureau des enqutes Indepantes (BEI), police arrived at the scene to find a man armed with a knife.
The RCMP attempted to use an “electric pulse weapon” without success. When the man allegedly charged at police, he was shot by an officer. He later died in hospital.
Per CTV News, Levi was shot in the Red Bank community, which is located near to Metepenagiag Miꞌkmaq Nation.
Quebec’s police watchdog have since confirmed that they are investigating the incident.
Addressing the news of Levi’s death, Singh tweeted, "My heart breaks for Rodney Levi’s family, his community, and everyone who lives in fear that they could be next."
He continued, "Systemic racism is killing people. Empty words alone from PM Trudeau won’t end it. We need real action. And we need it now."
Singh has urged Trudeau to go beyond "pretty words" on several occasions, previously telling the PM that "silence won't confront anti-Black racism, actions will."
Levi’s death comes just eight days after the death of 26-year-old Chantel Moore, a First Nations woman who was also shot by police in New Brunswick.
On June 4, Moore was killed during a wellness check at her apartment, after she was allegedly armed with a knife and making threats to police.
An independent investigation is ongoing.
The RCMP has been under scrutiny over the past week, following a series of incidents involving Indigenous people.
Last week, a video surfaced of an officer in Nunavut hitting an Inuk man with a police vehicle while arresting him.
Trudeau acknowledged the issues in a statement on June 11, admitting, "Systemic racism is an issue right across the country, in all our institutions including in all our police forces, including in the RCMP."