Charges against First Nation chief dropped
Category: News & Politics
Via: flynavy1 • 4 years ago • 15 commentsBy: Rob Gillies Associated Press
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
TORONTO — Charges against Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam were dropped Wednesday at a hearing that followed the release of police dashcam video that showed an officer tackling and punching him.
Alberta Justice spokeswoman Carla Jones said in a statement the prosecution reassessed the available evidence and withdrew the charges of resisting arrest and assaulting a peace officer against Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation.
The action came at a provincial court hearing in Fort McMurray, Alberta.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police dashcam footage showing Adam's arrest, made public as part of a defense application to drop the charges, caused widespread public outrage and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called it "shocking."
The 12-minute video shows an officer charging at Adam with his arm and elbow up and tackling him to the ground. It also shows the officer punching him in the head.
"My wife and I know we didn't do anything wrong," Adam said. "It was just for an expired license plate. I don't know the reason why it had to escalate."
Photos show Adam was left bloodied, with his face swollen. Alberta's police watchdog agency is investigating and Trudeau said the independent investigation must be transparent.
"If I ask them to be charged or fired, what would that accomplish?" Adam said, saying he wants to see broader reforms: "Make changes that are necessary."
Adam in the past has spoken out about excessive force and racism. He has noted that although aboriginal people represent 5 percent of Canada's population, they make up to 30 percent of the prison population.
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While this happened in Canada, this sort of abuse at the hands of police is common here in the US as well.
This is what happens when you are: "Caught while driving Indian."
Native Americans die at higher rates than other people of color when interacting with the police. Must have something to do with being "The Invisible People"
Sad statistics for sure!
I will never understand prejudices, racism, and such hatred. I joke about hating all people, but in all seriousness, I assume others are just trying to live and let live until proven otherwise. If someone is an asshole, I just don't have anything to do with him / her. In reality, don't the majority of human beings just want to be happy and be with their people? And let me elaborate on "their people"... I mean anyone that they feel a connection with and bring into their lives. That means any race, religion, color, creed, sexual orientation, marital status, age...... the list could go on, but I think you get my meaning.
My family consists of many people and actually most are NOT related by blood. I even kept my former in-laws in my divorce and my current husband sees them as family now too. My daughter's boyfriend has been living with us since December... he will always be family and they both know it. I love him like he was my own child. I have friends that I consider family... my best friend uses the saying, friends are family we choose. I agree. I have friends / family of every color, many different religions, and in the LGBTQ community. My favorite saying is the Wiccan Rede; "If it harms none, do as you will."
Sounds like he was looking for a fight. Did he think he could drive around with expired plates and not have to deal with the cops?
"F--king leave us alone!" Adam shouts at an RCMP officer, moments after he pulled up behind his idling truck in the parking lot with the cruiser's lights flashing.
"Don't f--king stop behind us like you're f--king watching us."
At one point, Adam tells an officer to tell his sergeant that "Chief Adam f--king tells you, 'I'm tired of being harassed by the RCMP.'"
The officer, who is still in his vehicle at that point, repeatedly tells Adam to return to his vehicle and that he will talk to him in a minute.
"You and I are going to have a f--king problem, right here, right f--king now," Adam tells the officer.
Adam appears to become increasingly agitated and at one point storms past the rear of his truck while removing his jacket. A few moments later, he assumed a fighting stance while his wife appeared to try to calm him
Gee, I don't know Dean. People who are not harassed by the cops don't usually say stuff like that. Did that occur to you?
Also, I have been stopped for expired registration. Could it be that he just didn't know? And btw, when I was, they were looking for expired registrations. No one runs plates for no reason and there are loads of them out on the road.
Due to Covid we have not been able to visit DPS tag offices in The Bronx for month. A gazillion tags, licences and registrations have expired in the meantime. A neighbor purchased a new car in February and still hasn't been able to get it registered, titled and tagged...
Here in NC, the registrations have been waived through July so those who "couldn't" get them have a reprieve. However, I'm not sure if the offices are working and can get them out to those who re-register online. But that's pretty easy to do............as long as you have insurance and "inspection" (stupid law) up to date.
In Michigan, we don't require inspections. My birthday is in January, so I got my tab before the proverbial shit hit the fan.
However, not everyone knows how to get that stuff online... I know my mother in law or father in law wouldn't know what to do.
LOL, my mom thinks she's an online wiz until she messes up her computer.
Indiana's BMV was by appointment only. I bought a camper in the beginning of June and went online to get an appointment to get a title and plates so I could tow it to get the tires switched out. The entire month of June and July were booked within 100 miles of my home. Indiana has closed so many BMV offices that they are always backed up and require a 'day trip' to get anything done.
So, someone wanted to pick a fight and got their ass kicked.
Funny how that doesn't seem racist until the political bigots begin chiming in.
Who are you calling bigots?
I mean who gets stopped all the time, either?
I guess it's all those Indians you know. (eye roll)
Some people flaunt the law, they drive unregistered, uninsured, uninspected, with a suspended license with an open can of PBR in the drink holder like the law doesn't apply to them. I don't think that justifies getting beatdown but the beatdown doesn't negate the fact that he was acting like a real jerk.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm not an Indian. I'm not Canadian, either.
The story is about someone who tried to pick a fight and got their ass kicked. That would be a local story and wouldn't receive any attention beyond the locality.
But the someone represents a racial identity. If the someone had been white (what today is called a white supremacist) then law enforcement would have been a hero. Since the someone is an Indian, law enforcement is the bad guy.
So, who elevated a local story to obtain broader attention? And why did they elevate the story to obtain broader attention? Racial identity appears to be the only reason the story was elevated and the story depends upon politicized racial stereotypes; identifying good guys and bad guys according to stereotype.
The story is only relevant to a broader audience because of political bigotry.