Mothers of two fatal police shooting victims gathered today where Jared Lowndes died exactly one year ago.
Laura Holland and Martha Martin joined anti-police-violence organizers from across B.C. outside a Campbell River Tim Hortons to commemorate Lowndes鈥� death on July 8, 2021 and to call for change.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a year of quiet grieving for me,鈥� Lowndes鈥� mother Laura Holland told the gathering. 鈥淎nd I say quiet grieving. Because I haven鈥檛 been out speaking, haven鈥檛 been out telling people, haven鈥檛 been out telling the world how I feel. I haven鈥檛 been out telling the governments they need to change. It鈥檚 been a year of quiet grief for me. And today that ends.
鈥淚 tried my best to respect my people鈥檚 ways. And today, it鈥檚 over. Today starts my year of love and rage.鈥�
Martin鈥檚 daughter, Chantel Moore of the Tofino-area Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, was killed by the Edmunston police in New Brunswick in June of 2020. And a few months later, Martin鈥檚 son, Mike Martin, died while in custody at the Surrey pre-trial centre.
鈥淎s mothers, we are angry, we are disgusted,鈥� she said as highway traffic passed and customers entered and exited the restaurant parking lot. 鈥淲here鈥檚 our leadership鈥檚 coming, you know?鈥�
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Friday鈥檚 rally was organized by #JusticeForJared supporters. It was to include a march through Campbell River and another rally at Strathcona Gardens Recreation Complex adjacent to the Campbell River RCMP police detachment.
Lowndes, 38, was killed in a police-involved altercation in the Tim Hortons parking lot. Police say Mounties attempted to stop a vehicle in relation to an outstanding warrant when the suspect fled. According to the National Police Federation, it was an outstanding warrant for weapons offences. An officer boxed the vehicle in before confronting Lowndes with a police dog. The dog was fatally stabbed and Lowndes was shot, dying a short time later. The dog handler received a knife wound.
Holland said there鈥檚 not a day that goes by that she doesn鈥檛 wake up and think about her son.
鈥淭here鈥檚 not a day that goes by I don鈥檛 wake up and think, just around the corner here. Just around the corner is where his car was smashed in by three police vehicles,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey sent their dog after him.鈥�
Organizers of the #JusticeForJared rally said in an emailed statement they march to bring attention to the ongoing violence perpetrated at the hands of the RCMP. They say the killing of Indigenous people by police must end.
鈥淭he weaponization of attack dogs to help the RCMP murder and maim should be criminal. If anyone besides the police did this, it would be treated as a crime,鈥� Randy Geddes, friend of Jared Lowndes, said in the statement.
鈥淲hy are they held to a different standard? The rate of violent crimes against Indigenous people 鈥� by those meant to keep us safe 鈥� is astonishing. The police investigating police鈥檚 crimes needs to stop. The IIO can never be a truly impartial organization and can鈥檛 be trusted to take care of public safety.鈥�
The IIO is the Independent Investigations Office, B.C.鈥檚 police watchdog set up to investigate police-related incidents at arms-length from the force.
As of the first anniversary of Lowndes shooting, the IIO has yet to produce a public report on his death.
Holland continues to call for an external investigation, including the examination of the role of the RCMP 鈥淓鈥� Division and the federal ministries which oversee and dictate RCMP activities 鈥� the Minister of Justice and Minister of Public Safety.
Since Lowdnes鈥� death, four other IIO Investigations have been opened into deaths connected to the Campbell River RCMP. While these investigations are done independently, march organizers say they shroud police conduct in secrecy. They want the RCMP subject to public scrutiny.
鈥淎s a mother of two children killed by police and prisons, I have no faith in recommendations. We need action and we need it now,鈥� Martin said in the statement. 鈥淓very time I gather with families, we add new names to our lists of people killed by the police. The violence must end. Now.
鈥淚 am walking with Laura Holland because I understand her pain 鈥� as a mother who has lost children to police violence. Across this country 鈥� from my Nuu-chah-nulth homelands to the Wolastoqey territory I live in 鈥� Indigenous people are being killed by the police. Rodney Levi was killed just eight days after my daughter, and two years later we have added so many names.
鈥淭he killings must end.鈥�
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