The Independent Investigations Office of B.C., a provincial agency that investigates incidents involving police in which someone is killed or seriously injured, is investigating.
Lowndes, a father of two, is the third Indigenous person shot by police on Vancouver Island this year, and the second to be killed. He was from the Wet’suwet’en Nation’s Laksilyu (Small Frog) House.
“There seems to be a sense that it’s open season on Indigenous, Black and people of colour, because there are no consequences meted out to police officers that utilize deadly force,” said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs.