A 22-year-old man has been arrested and charged with second degree murder in connection with the homicide of 17-year-old Braiden Jacob in Thunder Bay.
On Friday evening Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS), working in conjunction with Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service officers, arrested Jonathan Yellowhead shortly after 5 p.m.
Yellowhead appeared in court Saturday morning by video and will remain in custody until a his next court appearance scheduled for Dec. 18.
He has been ordered to have no contact with seven witnesses and is also facing a charge for breaching a previous order on a separate charge dating back to May 22 of this year.
Jacob’s body was found last Sunday morning in a Thunder Bay park. The Webequie First Nation youth was reported missing on Dec. 6.
His family had last seen him on on the evening of Dec. 5 when he left the Thunder Bay hotel they were staying in. They began searching for him when he didn’t return later that night.
Community volunteers began an organized search for the missing teen on Dec. 6.
The youth was in the city for ongoing counselling services for trauma and grief, Webequie Chief Cornelius Wabasse told APTN last week, adding the youth’s family was “very distraught”.
“Even the community is impacted by the loss of a young man.”
News of Yellowhead’s arrest came hours after the Ontario Civilian Police Commission (OCPC) dissolved the Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS) Board and replaced the civilian body responsible for overseeing the city’s municipal police force with an administrator.
The OCPC called the overt and systemic racism toward Indigenous people it found within the TBPS “an emergency”. It was the second independent police watchdog in a week that delivered a scathing report of racism in the force.
On Wednesday the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) reported there was a trend of sudden death investigations involving Indigenous people not being properly handled by police. The OIPRD recommended reopening at least nine of those cases.
Police say they’re continuing the investigation into Jacob’s death.
news.ca
Please treat everyone as though they are your loved ones
Please treat everyone as though they are your loved ones
such a tragedy… does anyone know how a guy 5 years Braiden’s senior even met him? obviously the 22 year old didn’t consider how this would impact Braiden’s family and the entire community! :'(
Attending counseling and grief help in thunderbay when all this happened , 17 years old 🙁 it upsets me the fact that our people go through so much on a daily basis, and this poor kid just wanted to get help . Their not releasing the identity because he’s probably white and the cops are trying to protect this fool. Because 80% of the inmate population is native. My prayers go out to the family, hope they find justice so they can sleep at night.
You should really read the full article. Arrested Jonathan Yellowhead
Wouldn’t post my last comment Prayers to the family
A’ho
Prayers to the family
Fly spirit fly
It took hours for the authority to apprehend this individual to easy? After the police force was dissolved I cannot but be thankful enough for the big dogs stepping in and shredding the sheep’s clothing ? However those officers if they ever were should never wear another uniform unless it’s Orange and behind bars. This young man and his family along with all other inquires from this department need compensation for what it’s worth from this upholding law abiding public safety police force
Why is it always about compensation? As if money can ever bring the young man back. It looks as though the police acted appropriately and quickly in this case. The last name Yellowhead suggests to me that the accused may very well be Indigenous also. Another point to be taken into consideration is that we were not there. We don’t know how long it took for the police to go through clues. A few hours doesn’t seem unreasonable to me.
such a tragedy… does anyone know how a guy 5 years Braiden’s senior even met him? obviously the 22 year old didn’t consider how this would impact Braiden’s family and the entire community! :'(
Attending counseling and grief help in thunderbay when all this happened , 17 years old 🙁 it upsets me the fact that our people go through so much on a daily basis, and this poor kid just wanted to get help . Their not releasing the identity because he’s probably white and the cops are trying to protect this fool. Because 80% of the inmate population is native. My prayers go out to the family, hope they find justice so they can sleep at night.
You should really read the full article. Arrested Jonathan Yellowhead
Wouldn’t post my last comment Prayers to the family
A’ho
Prayers to the family
Fly spirit fly
It took hours for the authority to apprehend this individual to easy? After the police force was dissolved I cannot but be thankful enough for the big dogs stepping in and shredding the sheep’s clothing ? However those officers if they ever were should never wear another uniform unless it’s Orange and behind bars. This young man and his family along with all other inquires from this department need compensation for what it’s worth from this upholding law abiding public safety police force
Why is it always about compensation? As if money can ever bring the young man back. It looks as though the police acted appropriately and quickly in this case. The last name Yellowhead suggests to me that the accused may very well be Indigenous also. Another point to be taken into consideration is that we were not there. We don’t know how long it took for the police to go through clues. A few hours doesn’t seem unreasonable to me.
He will barely get a slap on the wrist.
He will barely get a slap on the wrist.
Oh No. This is horrible, Please accept my deepest condolences on the loss of your loved one. My heart breaks for your family.
Oh No. This is horrible, Please accept my deepest condolences on the loss of your loved one. My heart breaks for your family.