At least a dozen people were killed in Canadian police actions in September 2024. This brings the total number of people killed in police actions to at least 79 so far this year. These deaths include people who were directly killed by police, as in police shootings, beatings and vehicular strikes, and people who died during police deployments or in police custody.

At least 13 people were killed in police actions in August 2024. That was the deadliest month of police violence in 2024 so far and the deadliest since September 2022, when 13 people were also killed. At least seven people were killed in Canadian police actions in July 2024, nine people were killed in police actions in June, seven people in May, 11 people in April, 11 people in March, five people in February, and four people in January 2024. There were at least 97 police-involved deaths in Canada in 2023, while in 2022, there were at least 117 police-involved deaths.

Six of the victims in September have been identified as Indigenous people—Tammy Bateman, Jason West, Steven “Iggy” Dedam of Elsipogtog First Nation, Danny Knife of Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, Jon Wells of Kanai Nation, and Joseph “Joey” Desjarlais of Fishing Lake First Nation. One victim has been identified as a Black woman—Vanessa Rentería Valencia. Saskatchewan RCMP killed two Indigenous people in September, and three since August 29.

Six of the victims were identified as being in some type of mental health crisis, distress, or disorientation when police encountered them. Five people were shot and killed by police. Four people died in custody or during arrest. Two were struck and killed by police driving vehicles. One person died in a fall during a police encounter.

The details below are based on police reports, reports from oversight agencies, and in some cases information from families. As always, because there are no formal, systemic mechanisms for documenting and reporting police killings publicly in Canada, all numbers presented for police-involved deaths represent an undercount. In addition to the known cases, there are instances of police-involved deaths that have no reporting.

September 2. Tammy Bateman. Winnipeg Police Service. Vehicle Strike.

Tammy Bateman, an unhoused First Nations woman, was struck and killed by Winnipeg police who were driving on a walking path near the Fort Rouge Park encampment on September 2. Residents at the encampment are devastated and traumatized by the killing and are calling into question police actions, their disregard for the lives of unhoused people, and their depiction of events immediately following the killing.

Tammy Bateman lived in an encampment in Glengarry Park on D’Arcy Drive in Southwood, according to people who knew her. A friend, Andrew Desjarlais, told media that she was trying to get a home through Manitoba Housing, and she wanted to finish her high school education.

A Fort Rouge Park resident, Terry Johnsen, told media that he was talking with Tammy Bateman and her partner shortly before she was struck and killed by police. He described police as “barrelling down” the gravel path that leads to the encampment. In his words:

“They came running here like crazy and I guess they didn’t see them. You could hear the bang and then the commotion. When they were leaving, I guess they only got halfway up that hill on that road and the cops came barrelling down and ran the lady over. Dragged her a little bit, and she passed.”

Residents have questioned why police drove down a gravel path that is primarily used for walking, especially given that it was nighttime. Why did police use a footpath as a road? Johnsen told media that even ambulances will not drive down the gravel path to get to the encampment when needed. A local councillor also questioned police actions on the walking path saying, “You don’t expect there to be cars there.”

Bateman’s friend Andrew Desjarlais blames the lack of respect police have for unhoused people for the killing, saying, “I’d like to see (police) put themselves in our shoes for one day. I guarantee that none of them would survive.”

Residents of the encampment say police use the path several times a day to surveil the camp in ways that are often hostile. According to Johnsen, “They check names and take people away, and that’s it. They ask when we’re moving out, but they don’t give you any options. They don’t help. I thought they were supposed to work for us – serve and protect? In my eyes, they don’t do that.”

Residents have also questioned claims made by Winnipeg Deputy Police Chief Art Stannard in a press conference following the killing. Stannard said officers were driving another resident back to the encampment along the riverbank when they struck Tammy Bateman (not identified at the time). Johnsen counters this claim saying police had dropped the man off at the nearby River Avenue Quickie Mart before driving to the encampment. In response to questions, a Winnipeg police spokesperson could not confirm that the man who was supposed to be dropped off was still in the vehicle when Tammy Bateman was struck and killed.

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) is now calling for a thorough investigation into the killing. They released a statement calling out ongoing police violence against and killings of Indigenous people:

“Too often, the IIU has failed to hold police accountable for their role in the deaths of our people,” said AMC Grand Chief Cathy Merrick. “Eishia Hudson, William Ahmo, Janine Walker, and John Ettawakapow are just a few names on a long list of victims for whom the IIU has cleared police of contributing to their deaths. What took place Monday night is not merely a set of tragic circumstances, and it is hard to see this most recent situation as anything other than police involvement leading to the loss of life.”

September 6. Jason West. Windsor Police Service. Shooting.

Windsor police shot and killed Jason West, a 57-year-old Indigenous man, on the morning of September 6. It is reported that Windsor Police Service (WPS) officers were called to the area of Goyeau Street near Tuscarora Street around 10:30 AM regarding a person with an alleged weapon. Police arrived on scene and two officers fired their weapons, striking Mr. West. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. A close friend publicly identified the victim as an Indigenous man. He was named publicly several days later.

Police have not confirmed if the killing happened inside a Beer Store at the scene or outside, or if other were nearby when the shooting occurred. They have also not confirmed what type of weapon was present.

This killing happened not far from where Windsor police shot and killed Allan Andkilde (70) two years ago, at the intersection of Ouellette Avenue and Wyandotte Street.

September 8. Steven “Iggy” Dedam. New Brunswick RCMP. Shooting.

New Brunswick RCMP shot and killed Steven “Iggy” Dedam, an Elsipogtog First Nation man, on September 8. The Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) reports that officers had been deployed to the Elsipogtog First Nation regarding a man threatening to harm himself.

Police claim the two officers “were approached by a male carrying weapons,” and one of them discharged a taser on the man. The other officer shot the man, since identified as Iggy Dedam, with his firearm, killing him.

RCMP had posted on social media that a “police operation” was taking place on Graham Road in Elsipogtog First Nation around 12:30 AM on September 9. They posted again around 9 AM saying residents would continue to see a heavy police presence in the area.

None of the police claims regarding the killing have been confirmed publicly.

September 8. Danny Knife. Saskatchewan RCMP. Shooting.

Saskatchewan RCMP shot and killed an Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation man, identified by community members as Danny Knife, on September 8. Saskatchewan’s Serious Incident Response (SIRT) reports that at approximately 6:45 AM Shellbrook RCMP received notice of an assault and responded to the scene (about 65 kilometers northwest of Prince Albert). Police claim a confrontation of some type occurred involving a man who then entered a nearby home. RCMP allege that two adults and two children were inside the home at the time. The scene was secured by police and, at some point during the police response, RCMP say “a firearm was discharged” and the man was struck. Paramedics arrived and the man was declared dead at the scene. Community members have come forward to say that Danny Knife did not resist arrest.

September 11. Ontario Provincial Police. Custody.

A 59-year-old man died in a hospital in Thunder Bay on September 14 after being arrested on September 11, by Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in Pickle Lake. It is reported that OPP officers went to a business in the area of Koval Street and Patricia Avenue in Pickle Lake. While engaging with a group of individuals at the location, police reportedly noticed that someone behind them required medical attention. Emergency Medical Services assessed the individual and medically cleared him.

OPP officers arrested the man and transported him to the detachment where he went into medical distress. He was transported to a local medical facility, and then airlifted to a hospital in Thunder Bay. He was pronounced dead there on September 14.

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has assigned two investigators and one forensic investigator to examine the case. 

It has not been explained publicly why or how the man was arrested or why or how police engaged with others at the scene.

September 15. Winnipeg Police Service. Custody.

A man died in Winnipeg police custody shortly after his arrest on September 15. The IIU reports that WPS officers arrested a man in the 100 block of King Edward Street for an outstanding warrant around 4:00 AM. He was taken to police headquarters at 245 Smith Street at 4:23 AM and turned over to the Central Processing Unit (CPU). He was medically cleared and then detained in a holding cell.

At 7:30 AM, CPU members did an arousal check and found the man unresponsive. Paramedics provided emergency medical care and the man was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

September 16. York Regional Police Service. Fall.

Ontario’s SIU is investigating the death of a 21-year-old man during a York Regional Police (YRP) deployment in the early morning of September 16, in Etobicoke. According to the SIU, York Regional Police officers attended a condominium on Sherway Gardens Road to execute a search warrant at approximately 5 AM. Officers attempted to communicate with a man in an upper floor unit. A short time after, the man fell from a balcony to a 4th floor patio. He was transported to hospital where he was pronounced dead. The SIU has assigned three investigators and one forensic investigator to examine the death.

September 17. Jon Wells. Calgary Police Service. Beating and Arrest.

Jon Wells, a 42-year-old Kanai Nation man, died in Calgary Police Service (CPS) custody shortly after being tased, pepper sprayed, and arrested at a southeast Calgary hotel on September 17. It is reported that police were called to the Carriage House Hotel and Conference Centre on Macleod Trail just before 1 AM regarding a man allegedly causing a disturbance and refusing to leave.

Police claimed he was in the front lobby “acting erratically and not cooperating with officers.” A report by the Alberta Serious Incident response team (ASIRT) based on police body camera evidence completely counters police claims. It details a severe beating inflicted by police on an Indigenous person who was frightened, complying with officers’ demands, and saying, “I don’t want to die.” Police did not apparently identify themselves and he was never told he was being detained or under arrest.

One officer deployed a taser on him and one officer pepper sprayed him. Mr. Wells was tackled to the ground and punched in the head by an officer. While on the ground he was handcuffed, and leg restraints were applied. A spit hood was put on him while he was face down on the floor and after he was bleeding from the mouth and had vomited.

EMS attended and administered a sedative about seven minutes after he had been handcuffed and while he was still lying face down. He was then left face down in handcuffs, leg restraints and the spit hood for another three minutes. During this time he went into medical distress and died at the scene.

Police are not care and are not appropriate responses to people in distress.

September 19. Vanessa Rentería Valencia. Surrey RCMP. Shooting.

Surrey RCMP shot and killed Vanessa Rentería Valencia (37), an Afro-Colombian woman, early in the morning of September 19. The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) reports that Surrey RCMP received a report of a disturbance at a home in the 6200 block of 180A Street in Cloverdale at around 4:40 AM. Police claim that at some point they believed that a woman had locked herself in a room and was reportedly holding a weapon near a toddler. At around 5:30 AM, police shot the woman. She was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no reported injuries to the toddler. Two other adults present, including her husband, were reportedly removed from the residence by police.

Friends have come forward to say that Vanessa Rentería Valencia was a recently arrived migrant who spoke Spanish. No other details have been released publicly.

Police claims have not been confirmed publicly. It has not been explained if police fired weapons near a toddler or where the toddler was when they fired. Police refused to answer questions about the location of the toddler when shots were fired.

September 19. Ridge Meadows RCMP. Custody.

A man died in Ridge Meadows RCMP custody in Maple Ridge following his arrest on September 19. The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC reports that RCMP responded at around 7:00 PM to a report of a GMC Sierra pickup truck being driven erratically in the area of Lougheed Highway and Old Dewdney Trunk Road in Pitt Meadows. They stopped a Sierra, arrested the man driving, and transported him to Ridge Meadows RCMP detachment cells. At around 11:45 PM, the man was found to be in medical distress and not responsive during a cell check. Emergency Health Services were called, and the man pronounced dead.

September 24. Joseph “Joey” Desjarlais. Saskatchewan RCMP. Shooting.

Joseph “Joey” Desjarlais, a 34-year-old man from Fishing Lake First Nation, was shot and killed by Saskatchewan RCMP following a vehicle pursuit on September 24. The killing occurred on Fishing Lake First Nation, which is about 240 kilometers east of Saskatoon.

RCMP claim that the police chase started just after 1:00 PM, when RCMP officers spotted a speeding van. They claim they then learned that it was Desjarlais, whom they had been searching for in relation to a series of robberies, who stole a van from a Fishing Lake school. Police engaged in a pursuit along several rural roads in the area. A dangerous person alert was sent out during the pursuit.

An RCMP statement says that at approximately 1:45 PM, the van entered a field. Officers discharged firearms and the van continued travelling. It then came to a stop and “additional shots were discharged. The sole occupant was located inside, injured.” Joey Desjarlais died at the scene.

Joey Desjarlais is the eighth Indigenous person killed by police in Canada since August 29. He is the third Indigenous person killed by Saskatchewan RCMP in that time period. Saskatchewan RCMP killed Jack Charles Piche, a 31-year-old Clearwater River Dene Nation man, on August 29. They shot and killed Danny Knife, an Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation man, on September 8.

September 29. Ontario Provincial Police. Vehicle Strike.

An OPP officer struck and killed a 25-year-old man with their police vehicle on the morning of September 29. The Ontario SIU reports that an Ontario Provincial Police officer was driving an unmarked police vehicle in Bala and struck a pedestrian on Highway 169 at approximately 6 AM. The pedestrian was transported to hospital where he was pronounced dead. The SIU has assigned three investigators, three forensic investigators, and one collision reconstructionist to examine the case.

Jeff Shantz is a long-time anti-authoritarian organizer, researcher, and writer who lives and works on Kwantlen, Katzie, and Semiahmoo territories (Surrey, British Columbia).

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