Abuse of process update

Last week's proceeding of Sleydo' Molly Wickham, Shay lynn Sampson, and Corey "Jayohcee" Jocko’s trial addressed the defendants' abuse of process applications. The application is based on the defendants’ experience of widespread Charter violations stemming from the RCMP's disproportionate and excessive use of force. 

The court heard audio recordings taken after the RCMP's raid on Coyote Camp and Gidimt’en Checkpoint on November 18-19, 2021. The recordings caught officers referencing "gassing” people in the tiny home, referring to a man as an "ogre" and laughing about how multiple officers "beat the shit out of him", and referring to Indigenous women as "orcs" for wearing red paint symbolizing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Another audio recording revealed an officer saying “Here’s Johnny,” comparing the scene from The Shining to the officers’ use of axes to break into the cabins. RCMP Superintendent Elliott agreed that the recordings were not in accordance with his mission to comply with the Charter and called the officers’ behaviour “unprofessional and unacceptable.”

Testimony confirmed that Emergency Response Team (ERT) members armed with rifles and canine units—but without warrants or negotiators—barged into tiny homes where land defenders stood, with their arms up. 

The trial will continue June 17–21, 2024 with additional dates TBD. To support this and all our legal proceedings, please go to the donate page on our website or https://chuffed.org/project/yintahlegal (link in bio).

Tabï misiyh!

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