Nathan Cullen (NDP Photo)
Inspired by 2005 death of Ian Bush in Houston, B.C.
OTTAWA (NEWS1130) - A private member's bill has been introduced in Parliament to end the practice of the RCMP investigating its own members, following a serious in-custody incident.
Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen (NDP) is behind the bill. "It will create a special investigations unit, a public oversight body to investigation in cases when someone has been seriously hurt or killed in police custody." Cullen says he was inspired by the 2005 in-custody death of Ian Bush, 22, in Houston, B.C.
Bush was arrested at a local hockey game for having an open beer, then giving a fake name. He died 20 minutes later at the police detachment from a single gunshot wound to the back of the head received during a struggle with the arresting officer. Linda Bush says she hopes this bill makes the RCMP more accountable for its actions. "But I think if they know that Canadians are going to be looking to see what happened, why it happened and get some real answers, then they will take steps to be more... to prevent, sort of, things happening."
After an RCMP investigation, the arresting officer was cleared of any wrongdoing in Ian Bush's death. Cullen says the Conservative government has so far refused to meet with him or his party about this proposed legislation, but members of other parties have been more receptive.
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