APTN National News
The Assembly of First Nations is calling for a full investigation into the actions of Winnipeg police and paramedics who came into contact with 15 year-old Tina Fontaine before her murder.
AFN Alberta regional Chief Cameron Alexis, a former RCMP officer, said it’s “unfathomable” Fontaine managed to pass through the hands of both police and paramedics shortly before she disappeared.
Fontaine’s body was pulled wrapped in plastic from the Red River on Aug. 17. Police say she was murdered.
“It is my opinion that policies of the Winnipeg police service may have been breached and we call upon an independent police service or a Serious Incident Response Team to conduct a thorough internal investigation on this very serious matter,” said Alexis, who was an RCMP officer for 23 years. “A thorough investigation must commence immediately and the police officers in question may need to be released from duties.”
Despite being named in a missing persons report, Fontaine was briefly detained and released by Winnipeg police officers on Aug. 8 during a spot-check. The driver of the car carrying was also detained and charged with impaired driving.
Later that same day, Fontaine was found passed-out by a passerby in an alley. Paramedics treated Fontaine and took her to a city hospital where she remained for about four hours.
Fontaine was then released into the care of a child care worker who didn’t know the address of her caretaker. The 15 year-old eventually escaped the custody of a child care worker and vanished.
The Winnipeg Police said it was a field trainer and a trainee who came into contact with Fontaine and they have both been put on restricted duties while they undergo an internal investigation.
“I am offended and hurt that we have lost another child to a system that is failing our people. This is yet one more compelling reason for a national public commission of inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls,” said Alexis.
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