The aunt of a woman who was seen being truck and then tasered by an OPP officer in Sioux Lookout is vowing to continue pushing for accountability and action.
The incident happened last month, when an on-duty provincial police officer allegedly saw an individual trespassing through properties. In a news release issued in the following days, police said the suspect was highly intoxicated and became combative with officers, attempting to punch and grab at officers' use of force tools on their belt.
The woman, a 23-year-old from Kasabonika Lake First Nation, was charged with assault with intent to resist arrest. A second person was also arrested and charged for attempting to interfere during the arrest.
A portion of the interaction was captured on video and shared on social media.
Following the incident, Rachel Mamakwa filed a complaint with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director. Last week, she received a letter informing her that the agency was not going to investigate the complaint.
“We're going to fight to the end,” Mamakwa said.
In the letter, the OIPRD said criminal charges relating to the complaint that are still before the court.
"It is generally not in the public interest to deal with complaints when there are ongoing criminal and Special Investigation Unit investigations and related court proceedings, because there is a likelihood of interfering with or compromising other proceedings, and a likelihood that the OIPRD is unable to deal with the complaints promptly,” the OIPRD said in a statement to Dougall Media.
Mamakwa is now going forward with legal representation.
“We're just going to go ahead and work with lawyers to work with my niece and to get something done against the officer who did the beating of my niece,” said Mamakwa.
Mamakwa stated that the misconduct against her niece reminded her of the way her brother, Donald Mamakwa, died while in the custody of the Thunder Bay Police Service after being arrested for public intoxication.
“It was already 10 months ago when we started exposing the Thunder Bay police about their treatment against my brother, and this seems to be no different. I feel the same way just anger, and hopefully, we get something done for my niece. We can't let them get away with stuff like that,” Mamakwa said.
