APTN National News
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have charged Thunder Bay’s police chief with obstruction of justice and breach of trust.
According to a release sent Tuesday afternoon from the OPP, the investigation started in January at the request of the RCMP.
Jean Paul Levesque, 53, will be in court June 13.
The investigation was undertaken by the OPP’s criminal investigations branch.
Levesque and the Thunder Bay police have been under fire lately for how the force deals with crimes against Indigenous peoples.
The force is also being reviewed by the office of the Ontario Police Review Director.
According to a release from the Thunder Bay police board, Levesque was off on medical leave at the time he was charged.
Levesque’s lawyer Brian Gover said in a statement that his client “looks forward to fully responding to the allegations against him, and to his ultimate vindication.”
More to come.
Incidences like this are not isolated, obstruction of justice, misconduct and breaches of trust are occurring across the province. Another example before the courts can be noted by false charges in an illegal raid in Tyendinaga against a politically active family. A case where sexual assault victims were unlawfully seized after attempting to file charges to outside police agency thru the Liaison Constable Nathan Leland, of the OPP. One of the victims, an American Citizen, was denied her rights to file charges by both police agencies and calls to the RCMP went unheeded, prompting the American victim to seek assistance thru the State Department and the FBI. Formal complaints are being processed against the Tyendinaga chief of police, constable Nathan Leland, in addition to the knife wielding assailant (Thomas M.) whom was protected by the police. Another victim of Thomas M.’s rampage is reluctant to file charges at the time of this publication. The illegal raid at Tyendinaga case, pending before the Belleville court, will establish the corrupt police practices implemented which circumvented victims from filing charges. This case reflects a classic example of the RCMP’s Commissioner’s position that 70% of crimes against Native women can be attributed to local officials.
It truly saddens my soul, the lack of care concern and morals within the police services in this city. I have family that live there and Yes, not perfect, but in no way deserving of being treated as garbage because rasicm is raising the residents of this city. In any town, city, any place, you need help it will always be a native within the crowd that steps up and offers it, even when they have next to nothing, they will always have what you need. It has been taught and passed down generation to generation that kindred spirit. The authorities there are killing that spirit and they are raising monsters there…so sad!
Sad to hear that Racism is alive and well in such a beautiful town. I’m saddened too that Indigenous youth are dying far from home as this descendant of William McGillivray had to also endure being in Indian Residential School separated from loved ones too. It hurts to see a community implode with such hatred to our Indigenous people that it pits one against each other. Don’t repeat the past, you’ll have to relive the violence it brings.
I hear that Thunder Bay has the biggest majority of racism towards FN peoples. Why is that? I’m glad I don’t live in Thunder Bay, Winnipeg or Saskatchewan… I do hear horror stories about some places in Sask, Winn,, and Thunder Bay,that are outrageously discriminating,. I can’t really take hate upon any human being, because my family come from a huge ethnic of cultures. My great great grandfather was from the U.K., but he married a FN woman here in BC. He left to go back home to the U.K. and brought an English wife back with him. He raised both families on a 5 acre land where he housed both wives and children! His brothers and his children married many different ethnic groups. We are a huge family! And I’m proud of that. I’m proud to be a FN with a great family History!!
As residents of Thunder Bay, it is up to ALL of us to respect each other and help each other out. What happened to Thunder Bay with the big heart. Everyone needs to treat each other the way they would want to be treated. Do not hesitate to help someone in need. So many people will not get involved and things are getting worse. What if this was your daughter or son that was taken away from you? How would you feel? Lives were taken in such a tragic way. It could have been your son or daughter. How would you feel if the police report showed “probably drowned”. Do you think you might be a little angry? I know I would be furious. As residents of Thunder Bay, we need to get our priorities straight if anything is going to change. It doesn’t matter if you are First Nations or Finnish or Italian or Polish or Portuguese or White, we need to stick together and get this city where it should be. A welcoming place for everyone to enjoy. Let us NOT put up with RACISM anymore. I know we can do it.
Let us all brown beautiful people go to Thunder Bay, stay in their hotels, buy their food, set up camps, hold some ceremonies and ask for humility and guidance for their evil eyes and hearts to open.
No place for Racism in this day and age. People have to smarten up and catch up with the times. We all have red blood in our veins, we all sit to shit, we all love, we all have people that love us, we hurt, feel pain, feel joy, feel pride & Love…. All the same.
No one Skin Colour, Nationality, Religion, hair colour, eye colour, Sexual orientation, Yearly income, type of home or car you drive makes you or your life more important than mine or mine more than yours!!
WTF is wrong with these backward, Ignorant, Biggot Racists??
Welcome to Twenty Seventeen people.
We should Love and Respect each other as Human beings!!! Enough of this Racist bullshit.
I hope this was a Legitimate investigation and that if found guilty he should suffer the correct punishment and longest sentence possible. Sounds like they have already started part of the defence strategy ( he was off on medical leave at time of arrest) so they will ask for minimum security (Country club accommodation) if found guilty… due to Medival issues! I call bullshit! He knew he was doing something wrong and NOT being Fair and protecting ALL the PEOPLE he took an oath to protect & serve! (based on what I have heard and read)
Some wonder why a lot of people don’t respect law enforcement!! Most are good and true to what the job really is. There are a few that don’t do the job Fair & damage that reputation for the rest of the Great Police officers out there doing the job properly.
Get it right Legal System.. prosecute the case to its full extent.. if he is Innocent let him go (but remove him as Chief of Police.. force Retirement)
If found Guilty sentence him to the Maximum penalty. Sending a clear message that Racism will not be tolerated in this Great Country of ours!!!
If anyone has ever had a first-hand encounter with the police (s)he’ll likely be able to testify corruption is obvious and rampant in any police force.
The position of power is intoxicating. Once empowered, these individuals stop acting above reproach, and band together, as does an adolescent fraternity, to cover each other’s indiscretions. When one of them finally steps up to put a stop to the wrongdoing, by reporting issues to his/her superior(s), the issues are handled “internally”.
“Internally” can be interpreted as: a private, closed-door discussion held between the ‘superior’ and the reported party(ies), the image of the force takes priority over the incedent, little is documented, stories are aligned, the force’s union hires top/sleazy lawyers to selectively ignore facts, and spin blame onto the complainant, the complaint is publicly minimized, the complainant is “internally” identified & ostracized, ‘certain’ members are reassigned, other members are told to behave, offenders receive paid administrative leave, and nothing changes.
Meanwhile, the public is still intimidated, abused, assaulted, falsely arrested, discounted as significant, ignored, violated, injured, shot, tasered, punched, kicked, and even killed with impunity – absolute impunity.
The police are empowered to serve and protect. They serve their own egos and they protect their asses – regardless of your rights, regardless of their wrongs.
A police chief to be held accountable for something? … hmmmm, sounds like an episode of Sliders, to me.
Sounds like you have been there too. And skin color doesn’t matter, what matters is if there is a stripe down the outside of your trouser leg.
The Chief is charged with obstructing the OPP’s investigation.
Sounds like he had something to hide.
I am glad the OPP and OIPRD are investigating the TB police.
There have been too many deaths, too easily dismissed by the police.
The only way to get a fair verdict is to trust in those people who are responsible for analyzing evidence against him. There are decent people out there, let’s just hope that they are the people who cast judgement. If he’s guilty, the evidence won’t lie and he should be replaced. If he’s innocent, then the evidence has to be undeniably wrong. The truth will be heard, let’s just hope the right people are listening.
Publicity stunt this is just a show! So they can shut us beautiful First Nations people up! And it will never end unless the people’ change who hate other races! I’m not racist! I was taught to respect and treat everyone the same…sad to see this generational curse keep going onto other generations! Very very sad
It is sad to say that there was no proper investigation for the number of bodies being pulled out of the river in Thunder Bay. It is sad that racism determines how it represents Thunder Bay.
When I used to come to Thunder Bay alot I really enjoyed being in Thunder Bay. Now it has become dangerous if and when you are walking things get thrown at you.
My hope is that racism is stopped and the people in Thunder Bay stand up and state that racism will no longer represent them, the good people. There are good people and kind people in TB. Is it true there are good and kind people in Thunder Bay or did they driven out?
Yes we having some issues in Saskatchewan
When are the others going to sought on criminal murder charges are they true to their respective employment to protect and serve human beings we all have the same color of blood life is life we certainly don’t leave this world alive but everyone deserves to a passing with dignity and peace not because we are a certain race and to be thrown into a river against our will really sad “do your job as protectors of human life”
These guys are just going through the motions make it look like something is being done.Can guarantee nothing will come of this maybe a big raise for this guy at the end.
The people of this country pay these people from the taxes they pay to hire honest, decent working people of this country and not enough is said. Don’t We all need to address accountability and speak for our money. ?
And what country are you from? You should read the true history. Our people are kind hearted and trusting, that’s how many of you got here, not by honesty on your ancestors par,t but by deceiving , trickory and yes the alcohol your fine law sbidding ancestors brought here to deceive for our country with altererior motives of putting our ancestors down to lesser people so not to feel guilty of the corruption. Yes I guess you can say your ancestors were right if you believe you’re supetior humans. Corruotion, genocide assimilation and the almighty dollar at the cost of human jives, and now the destruction of the earth you believe you own seems to be OK in your worldly beliefa. You are the one I feel sorry for.
Interesting.
Safe to say he is probably still getting paid. What a joke!!!
Dont you think enough is enough with this racism against the beautiful first nations people
If they didn’t whine so much their beauty could actually become detectable.
Raven88……you haven’t been in those shoes before so before you say they are whinning maybe you should walk in those shoes before making a harsh judgement like this. If your not black or brown then you have no clue WTH your talking about!
Lol so you can’t empathize unless your black or brown. You realize what your saying is blatantly racist right?
If the police did their jobs properly, there wouldn’t be reasons for complaints.
Oh yeah, right Raven88!!
Affirming rights is not whining.
I personally heard an Ironworker from thunder bay bragging about how the police would handle a hit and run victim that involved what he described a drunken indian. He said that when the thunder bay police arrived at the scene they would tell the drivers to get the hell out if here and made it sound like it was standard practice when it came to drunken indian hit and runs. It’s about time these corrupt racist police are charged and imprisoned…there us justice after all…
You don’t have to be beautiful to be discriminated against.
I think the cops are behind it myself. This just solidified it for me.
Justice to serve and protect all people, Aborginal, coloured, white n everyone. We are all equal, that what makes this country proud.