Mission RCMP Serious Crimes Unit investigating alleged hit and run at Indigenous march

Mission RCMP say their Serious Crime Unit has taken over the investigation into an alleged hit and run during an Indigenous-led march in that city over the weekend. The incident has led to outrage among witnesses and those who were injured, due to a lack of arrests and accusations of police “downplaying” what happened.

At least four people taking part in the demonstration in support of residential school survivors were hit on Saturday as the group was making its way to the former St. Mary’s Residential School. Two people were hospitalized with minor injuries.

At the time, the RCMP had characterized the incident as that of an “impatient driver.”

Related articles:

• Truck hits group in Mission, B.C. at residential school awareness march

• ‘Swept-aside and downplayed’: Mission march organizer says alleged hit and run part of bigger issue

In a new-deleted weekend news release, Mounties said people were hit by a truck and that investigators had the vehicle’s licence plate.

“It sounds like this driver became upset that his trip was going to be delayed by a few minutes, and drove into oncoming traffic to try to get around the group,” Const. Harrison Mohr stated in that release.

Investigators had not spoken to the driver until he came forward on Monday. The 77-year-old was released from custody and the truck was seized by police.

RCMP have said there is no indication the incident was targeted, or that the driver’s actions had anything to do with the people taking part in the march or their cause.

Andrew Martin with the Crazy Indians Brotherhood, which organized the weekend march, is among several participants who believe if the driver was Indigenous, the situation would have been treated very differently.

“We would have spent the weekend in jail until we saw a judge on Monday, and then the judge would decide beyond that. Whereas this gentleman hit us, left, and got to go home. Our concerns around that were made very clear. It was very hard for a bunch of our members to remain calm during the meeting,” he told CityNews on Wednesday.

The chief of the Cheam First Nation met with the RCMP in Chilliwack earlier this week to discuss these concerns.

Video of the large group making their way from Heritage Park to the site of the former St. Mary’s Residential School on Saturday was posted online, as well as footage capturing moments after the incident.

https://twitter.com/rjjago/status/1533286038197506048

On Friday, RCMP said the Serious Crime Unit had taken over the case, “and is continuing to interview more witnesses, with around 20 interviews already having been conducted.”

“Investigators believe that some of the people whom have posted video footage about this incident on social media have not yet contacted police to provide that footage or their statements.”

Read more: B.C. Indigenous leaders meet with RCMP over alleged hit and run in Mission

If you saw what happened or have footage from the scene on Saturday, you’re asked to call Mission RCMP at 604-826-7161.

“Police are also specifically looking to speak with the driver of a single-unit dump truck or semi truck that was behind the blue Chevrolet Silverado pickup when it drove away from the area of the March. Police believe that driver may have some key information for this investigation,” police said in a statement.

With files from Michael Williams

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