Pimicikamak Cree Nation’s Chief is calling on Manitoba’s police watchdog to look into an incident involving an RCMP officer and a group of girls in the community.

 

The press release from MKO says the incident happened Friday night where a constable unholstered his sidearm and pointed it at a group of young girls on the First Nation.

 

Chief David Monias demanded an apology from the police agency and an investigation from the Independent Investigation Unit, saying the girls were traumatized and there was no imminent threat to the officer that would have warranted drawing the firearm.

 

Monias adds this is the latest of a number of issues his community has had with RCMP in Cross Lake, as he says there’s lack of drug trafficking enforcement and an apparent refusal to respond to some calls.

 

The Manitoba RCMP told Arctic Radio says the Cross Lake RCMP officer mistook a telescope as a long gun as they were driving past a residence and apologized to the homeowner and the youths for the misunderstanding as a result of the incident.

 

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak says they have deployed workers from its MMIWG Liaison Unit to provide counselling to the girls.