Rojun Alphonse was a “great family man,” who was proud of his Indigenous roots, and the circumstances around his death remain an open wound for his family and the community, said Chief Willie Sellars of the Williams Lake First Nation in B.C.’s Cariboo region. B.C.’s Independent Investigations Office released a report this month detailing what led up to Alphonse taking his own life, suggesting RCMP policy or training may need to change to better respond to calls involving Indigenous people after complaints that police actions were more forceful than necessary. Alphonse died in Williams Lake after an hours-long standoff with Mounties in July 2022. “We would like to see meaningful change happen within the RCMP when you’re dealing with Indigenous peoples, when you’re dealing with individuals suffering from mental health…
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