FSIN calls for inquest, firing of Prince Albert police officers after toddler’s death

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) is calling for a coroner’s inquest and for a few Prince Albert Police Service officers, including Chief Jonathan Bergen, to be fired after the death of a 13-month-old boy.

Prince Albert police said on Feb. 10, they responded to a home for a report of a domestic disturbance just before 6 a.m. Officers arrested one person and then left.

Just before 11 o’clock, police said they received another call to go to the same home for a report of a murder of a child. When officers got there, they found the child, 13-month-old Tanner Brass, dead.

The child’s father, Kaij Brass, was arrested and has since been charged with second-degree murder.

During a news conference Wednesday, FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron — speaking for the child’s mother, Kyla Frenchman — said the woman was treated differently because she was First Nations.

Cameron alleged officers racially profiled her, arrested her and accused her of being drunk. He said she warned police her child was still in the home and could be in danger.

“(Police) get to the residence and detain her,” Cameron said. “Again, she said, ‘My baby.’ In the cop car, she said, ‘My baby,’ and in the cells, she said, ‘My baby.’ ”

Cameron said police should have checked on the child the first time they were at the home.

“A 30-second walk — that’s all it would have taken for the officers to save this little guy,” he said. “We’re angry. We expect and demand justice. We demand immediate change. We demand immediate results.”

One day after the child’s death, Bergen requested an internal investigation into the first visit police made to the home. The police service also made changes to its structure in the wake of the boy’s death.

Frenchman, who was at the news conference held by the FSIN, did not speak to reporters but she was quoted in an FSIN media release.

“No mother should ever have to go through this. No mother should have to feel this pain,” she said. “He was such a happy baby, who was always smiling. He was adorable and had big squishy cheeks.”

Following the death, Bergen ordered an investigation through the Saskatchewan Public Complaints Commission which he said could take months.

During a media conference Wednesday afternoon, Bergen said he heard the message loud and clear and acknowledged trust has been broken with the police service and members of the Indigenous community. He added police are committed to build back that trust.

“As we work through and understand the details of the shortcomings of the Prince Albert Police Service, not just this one call for service, we’re going to be in a better position to build back that trust,” Bergen told reporters.

“We need to look across the entire organization and do better in all areas and make sure we’re paying attention to all details. As we focus on aligning our practices to the policies in place, to align our practices to the legislation that govern us, we’re going to build on that trust that has been called into question.”

Bergen said the two officers who responded to the call were junior members of the force with about five years of experience combined.

He added as of now, those officers are still with the PAPS.

“Once we have the information that comes from the investigation, then we’ll be in a situation to assess that information and assess whether discipline is appropriate and what discipline that would be,” Bergen said.