[
David Annanack acknowledged that his son Mark R Annanack had broken some laws in the past, but said he had a good heart. He told Mark to stop evading police, but when his son did stop running, it all went horribly wrong.
Mark died in their village of Kangiqsualujjuaq, Que. after a fatal police shooting in May.
“He was waiting for the police to pick him up to bring him to jail. As soon as they saw him, they shot him two times … one by each of those police officers,” Annanack said.
Quebec’s police watchdog, the Bureau des Enquêtes Indépendantes (BEI), is still investigating that shooting.
Its preliminary findings at the time suggested a person reportedly exited a tent with a bladed weapon and police tried to use pepper spray and a taser to subdue him. The BEI’s statement did not state how many shots were fired.
Annanack has now co-signed a letter calling for changes within the Nunavik Police Service (NPS) and for a meeting with Quebec Premier François Legault.
The letter comes off the back of a fatal police shooting in Inukjuak on July 17, marking the third such death in the region since November 2024 and 17th police-related death in Nunavik — a region of less than 15,000 — since 2017, according to the BEI’s database.
The other signatory is Garnet Papigatuk, who was shot by police in Salluit in November 2024. He survived, but his brother Joshua did not.
That letter, also posted to Facebook on Tuesday, has three demands for the province, to disarm local police officers, launch a full public commission inquiry into the Nunavik Police Service, and create a team to work towards reconciliation.
‘They’re going to kill more’
Inukjuak mayor Bobby Epoo said the recent death is still very fresh for the community. He said some family members, from nearby Sanikiluaq, NU, are still making their way to Inukjuak.
“Other family members from our neighboring community arrived by boat over the weekend. They are still in shock. They’re still mourning,” he said.
The body still needs to be sent south for an autopsy, before the family can make funeral arrangements. Epoo called on BEI to issue a public statement about its findings after its investigation into the death is complete.
He also took aim at the training some officers get from the École Nationale de Police du Québec, which he believes does not account for the realities of the North and isn’t culturally relevant. Above all, he wants to see police find ways to only use lethal force as a last resort.
“Why do training on a taser and pepper spray if you’re not going to use it,” he wonders. The BEI said its current investigations do not suggest those deterrents were used in Inukjuak before police opened fire.
With all the police-related deaths in the region, Annanack urged the province to meet his demands.
“It’s the only way to stop them. If they carry firearms on their side, on the streets, they’re going to kill more. It’s got to stop. We’re not animals, we’re not dogs,” he said.
Ongoing reviews
In response to the letter from Annanack and Papigatuk, Quebec’s Minister of Public Security François Bonnardel offered his thoughts to the affected families. But he reiterated the need for the BEI to complete its investigations.
“The Government of Quebec is paying special attention to the erosion of a feeling of trust between the population of Nunavik and its police service,” he said in a French statement.
The Kativik Regional Government (KRG) has launched an independent audit on the Nunavik police, after the death of Annanack. The KRG has civilian oversight over NPS.
“Being responsible for the administration of their police force and out of respect for their autonomy, the teams from the Ministry of Public Security will be available to support, advise, and facilitate the implementation of this independent audit by the KRG,” Bonnardel said.
KRG wouldn’t speak directly to the letter, but issued a statement beforehand, offering its condolences and announcing some of the changes it’s working toward, including a plan to end “a rotational system for NPS management.”
“These repeated fatal shootings deny Nunavimmiut the opportunity to heal and to feel fully safe in their communities,” KRG vice chairperson Mary Arngaq said in the statement.
“We need urgently to find ways for our communities to work with police and residents to identify, prevent and deescalate life-threatening situations.”