There were some gut-wrenching speeches from the family of Rojun Alphonse during today’s (Tuesday) news conference from the Williams Lake First Nations office.
His wife June North described him as a loving husband and father, adding that no apology will make up for their loss.
“We call for justice on how our RCMP have followed through on this call when our daughter was still home, and they still gas bombed our family home without her coming out of the house.”
North says it was very lucky that their daughter wasn’t harmed.
She says she was also put into a cop car without air conditioning.
“She has said how hot the RCMP cop car was. She just about couldn’t breathe for a while with no phone call to me or to my sister-in-law, which they did have our numbers, to keep us informed or to even let us talk to our daughter. Our daughter was questioned by a male police officer with no permission, no female in the room, and no call to me on her whereabouts.”
North says the fear of the RCMP will now always be there for not only her daughter, but for everyone in their family, and in the community.
She also took issue with Williams Lake City Councillor Scott Nelson.
“As for Scott Nelson that made this public and talked in the background. I can’t believe how he sounded on what was going on, and how he was assuming it was gang related. Family was finding out from videos that Scott Nelson was posting, live video feeds. Family didn’t know what happened.”
Hazel Alphonse, Rojun’s mom, also spoke.
“Just imagine yourself with all the cops around you, and with all the rifles that they had. Just imagine my son was scared. I keep trying to put myself in Rojun’s home. Me being there with my daughter and all these cops around us. Because I know our son, he wasn’t a dangerous man, he was a loving person.”
Alphonse said she will never again hear the words “I love you mom,” adding that she keeps waiting for him to come into the house.
A link to the first story covering the public inquiry can be found here.
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