Chantel Moore
Chantel Moore, an Indigenous Canadian woman, was fatally shot in her New Brunswick apartment during a wellness check by an Edmundston police officer on June 4, 2020.
The wellness check was asked for by Moore’s boyfriend in Toronto, who was worried Moore was being harassed. Police alleged that Moore had a knife and “threatened an officer”, who then fired five times, killing Moore.
Investigators have not released details of the nature of the alleged threat. Edmundston police said the officer didn’t attempt to use non-lethal force, this fact would be part of the independent investigation. Moore’s family raised concerns about the officer firing five times to stop a woman of small stature alleged to be armed with a knife.
In December 2020, an independent investigation was completed. The results were sent to the prosecutor’s office. The public prosecution service is examining the findings “to determine what steps will be taken”. Moore’s family has said the officer who shot her should be charged with murder.
In June 2021, New Brunswick’s Public Prosecutions Services announced that no criminal charges will be filed against the police officer who fatally shot Chantel Moore a year ago.
MASS MEDIA ABOUT THE CASE:
With no answers about the death, “you can’t move forward,” Moore’s mother said. “It’s every parent’s nightmare.”
Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said he’s “outraged” by the continuing pattern of police violence against Indigenous people in Canada. “I don’t understand how someone dies during a wellness check,” Miller said about Moore’s death.
CASE STATUS:
The initiative group has requested the clarification from Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness William Sterling Blair, Attorney General of Canada David T. Lametti and Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau. The initiative group believes it is important to fight against police brutality and, if necessary, will provide legal and financial assistance to the family of the victim.
