Supporters of Wet’suwet’en Man Shot and Killed by RCMP in 2021 Gathering Tomorrow After Family Files Lawsuit

Family members of a Wet’suwet’en man killed by RCMP in Campbell River have filed a lawsuit on the eve of the second anniversary of his death.

38 year-old Jared Lowndes was fatally shot by police in a Tim Horton’s drive-thru on July 8th of 2021.

Last December, the BC Independent Investigations Office found reasonable grounds to pursue possible charges against three unnamed officers.

Details on the incident remain spotty, but the Office says it began when police attempted to check a parked car that morning.

They say that there was contact between the car and a police vehicle as it drove away, but officers did not pursue at the time.

Later that morning, officers located the same vehicle in the drive-thru, with Lowndes being shot and killed during an altercation which followed.

RCMP had claimed that a police dog was stabbed and killed during the altercation, which they say came after Lowndes attempted to flee.

Lowndes mother, Laura Holland, who is named in the suit, says that Indigenous deaths are swept under the rug often due to a lack of resources.

But she hopes that the Courts can find justice for her son, and that the results of the litigation can help them begin to heal from the loss.

Those wishing to lend support to the family are gathering tomorrow in Vancouver’s Grandview Park between 1:00 and 3:00 in the afternoon.

That event is being held by the group Justice for Jared, who have been advocating against Indigenous police brutality since his untimely death.