Rocky Lonechild's family frustrated by lack of action for officer's use of force
It's been more than six months since a controversial video that showed Regina police officers arresting Rocky Lonechild surfaced. One police officer appears to knee Lonechild multiple times, while he was already detained by three other officers and lying on the ground.
Yet Lonechild's family and supporters remain frustrated by the absence of disciplinary action or updates on the external investigation.
"[Regina police] Chief Bray should have taken action, he should take action now," said Bob Hughes, who is with the Saskatchewan Coation Against Racism. He said there's no question about what happened. "The video makes the difference. This video of Rocky Lonechild being physically assaulted and damaged is clear."
The black-and-white video of the arrest was captured on a home security system and showed Lonechild running from the police. The video shows two police officers pinning him down. They appear to be cuffing him as a third looks on.
Then a fourth officer runs up from behind and appears to knee him in the back three or four times. Lonechild allegedly suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung.
"What they did was totally wrong and watching the video is just unnerving," said Lawrence BigEagle, Lonechild's dad. "When I first watched it, I honestly thought we were watching the cops kill somebody but we didn't know that was our son."
The family said they want justice for Lonechild and others in similar situations, as they gathered outside of Regina Provincial Court on Monday.
"The officers involved in this matter have not been disciplined or reassigned," said a spokesperson for the Regina Police Service in an email. "Our police service will not be taking action against the officers prematurely or presupposing the conclusion of the PCC's investigation; we will await the outcome of the Public Complaints Commission process."
But Hughes said there's no need to wait.
"A five-year old child knows what was wrong with that arrest."
They want the police officer responsible for kneeing Lonechild fired and the three others suspended or disciplined in some way because they appear not to intervene.
Hughes said this is the right time to demand action, as public scrutiny on police use of force has heightened around the globe since a police officer killed George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Advocates are also calling for changes to the way situations like Lonechild's are investigated. Saskatchewan has long been criticized for not having an independent civilian led police oversight board.
"It's not going to stop," said Agatha Eaglechief who drove from Saskatoon to support the family and share her petition for stopping police from policing themselves. Her son Austin died after Saskatoon police chased him while he was at the helm of a stolen vehicle.
"Who's next?" she asked, wiping away tears. "Now is the time for change."
