3 prank calls reporting active gunmen theats since fatal shooting: Inukjuak mayor

The police in Inukjuak have received multiple false reports of active shooters in the past week, according to the community’s mayor. The reports follow the fatal shooting of Jamie Kavik, 34, in a confrontation with Nunavik Police Service [NPS] officers on July 17. Mayor Bobby Epoo disclosed the incidents in a public letter on the public Facebook group “Your Voice on Nunavik,” though he told APTN News the events leading to Kavik’s shooting were not a prank call. “For the past several days, the Nunavik Police Service has been receiving a distressing number of prank calls reporting active gunman threats, including threats to harm or kill individuals within our community,” Epoo’s statement reads. “These calls are not only deeply disturbing but also pose a significant risk to public safety and the efficient operation of our emergency services.” An unidentified member of the NPS Inukjuak detachment told APTN News they could not speak without permission from their superiors, but agreed “it’s quite common sense” that the prank calls would strain resources and the community’s nerves. The death of Kavik is now under investigation by provincial watchdog the Bureau des enquêtes indépendentes [BEI]. The officers involved have been placed on leave. Bobby Epoo is mayor of Inukjuak, Quebec, an Inuit community of roughly 1,800 on the east coast of Hudson’s Bay. Photo: Facebook Epoo said, “right after the fatal police shooting, [the false calls] started happening, maybe three times over the weekend.” He said he could not speculate as to why the calls were made. Along with voicing concerns about misusing emergency resources and diverting police away from genuine emergencies, the statement noted NPS officers are addressing all reports with “a heightened level of response” since the fatal shooting. “This means that every prank call unnecessarily escalates tension and places both our officers and community members in potentially dangerous situations,” Epoo said in his post. In a telephone interview, Epoo said his role as mayor requires him to listen with neutrality to all sides in the community without presumptions about people’s motives. “In regards to these prank calls, we are trying to get to the bottom of it,” he said. “I’ve been closely communicating with the police sergeant in regards to that. We’re trying to get caller ID information from the 911 call center. “But like I said in the letter of the public statement, they’re using a phone app, so they’re a bit harder to trace and get the exact pin of the location.” Read more: Quebec’s police watchdog says twins in Salluit shot after 911 call Nunavik police chief launches ‘disciplinary investigation’ into Christmas tree photo Epoo said the community’s sergeant will send the mayor’s office recordings and transcripts of the calls in hopes that someone will recognize the voices. “We will get to the bottom of it and it’s not a matter of nothing is being done,” Epoo said. “It’s just a matter of taking it step by step to get to the bottom of it and then take action.” Pranks with serious consequences Mary Elijassiapik, Jamie Kavik’s aunt, said she had a shocking encounter with NPS officers barely two days after her nephew’s shooting death. As relatives began to gather to grieve, Elijassiapik went with her daughter to her sister’s house to borrow a vehicle. When they arrived, they were startled to discover a number of NPS officers with their guns drawn walking around the area. “They were already near my sister’s place pointing the gun at the place we’re at,” Elijassiapik told APTN. “One of the cops grabbed my back and pulled me down very hard, and suddenly I started to have headache, a little bit of back pain.” The officers explained they were responding to what turned out to be a prank call about someone with a gun. She said she understood the call had been a prank, but one with negative effects. “There were two kids at that house,” she told APTN. “And my daughter saw me when one of the cops pulled me and pulled me down. Now she’s scared of the cops.” An NPS officer carries a firearm while responding to a false report of an active shooter on July 19. Photo by Annie Williams Having already spent the preceding days in tears, Elijassiapik said she was overwhelmed with emotion following the interaction with NPS officers. “[I] thought I [was] almost killed, […] almost gone with one of [my nephews] that was killed by cops. And everything on my mind started to explode and I started to cry.” Annie Williams, Elijassiapik’s niece and a cousin of Kavik, took photos of the NPS officers searching the area around her aunt’s house with their guns drawn. From here, Epoo said his focus is on healing and making sure institutions provide the best services possible to Inukjuak Nunavimmiut. “I’m not trying to push anybody under the bus,” he said. “I’m neutral to both the people of Inukjuak and the organizations within Inukjuak that provide services, including the police.” Mandy Gull-Masty responds Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty is the member of parliament for the riding of Abitibi–Baie James–Nunavik–Eeyou, which encompasses the entire north of Quebec, including all 14 Nunavik Inuit communities, and all nine nations of the Cree Nation of Eeyou Istchee. “All people deserve to have their life end with loved ones and with dignity,” Gull-Masty said in a statement emailed to APTN. “My thoughts and solidarity are with the families, friends, and communities of those who have been lost. “Nunavik will come together to support those who need it during this challenging time.” Gull-Masty’s office referred APTN to the Quebec provincial government as the lead authority on the matter. A spokesperson for Quebec Public Security Minister François Bonnardel also sent an emailed statement. “Our thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives during the recent operations,” the statement reads. “We will allow the BEI to conduct its independent investigations. In June, Ministers Bonnardel and Lafrenière met with the Kativik Regional Government [KRG] to discuss issues surrounding the Nunavik police service.” The statement goes on to note the Quebec government is “paying particular attention to the erosion of trust” among Nunavimmiut toward the NPS. “We welcome the independent audit [that KRG promised],” the statement reads. “As the teams at the Ministry of Public Security are responsible for administering their police force and respect its autonomy, they will be available to support, advise, and facilitate the implementation of this independent audit.” APTN has also not received a response from Premier François Legault’s office. Continue Reading