Two RCMP officers charged in death of Tlicho Nation man in Yellowknife

The RCMP in Yellowknife say two officers have been charged in the 2025 in-custody death of Lawrence Blackduck, a member of the Tlicho Nation in the Northwest Territories. According to a release from the RCMP, Cst. Nick Ash and Cst. Brent Young are both charged with causing death by criminal negligence and failure to provide the necessities of life. The statement said the charges stem from an incident on March 12, 2025, when police responded to a report of a man causing a disturbance. When the officers arrived, they found Blackduck, 56, who was “showing signs of intoxication.” Ash and Young arrested him and put him in a police cruiser while they were “gathering information on site,” according to the release. “Upon return to the vehicle, the officers noticed that the male was unresponsive,” the statement said. “Life-saving measures were immediately performed and EMS contacted.” Blackduck was pronounced dead on the scene, according to Alberta RCMP, who conducted the investigation. The N.W.T. doesn’t have its own police watchdog to investigate incidents where members of the public are harmed by police. When an incident takes place, investigators with the RCMP in Alberta are dispatched. “Both officers will be suspended from duty immediately and are scheduled to appear in Territorial Court on November 24, 2026,” according to the RCMP. Continue Reading