Tue Jul 3, 8:22 PM ET
Canadian Press
SECHELT, B.C. (CP) - A sometimes scarred trust relationship between the Sechelt First Nation and the RCMP threatened to become an open wound in the wake of a confrontation in which a Mountie used pepper spray on a group of revellers celebrating victory in a youth soccer tournament.
A meeting Tuesday to patch up relations between the police and the band, on the picturesque Sunshine Coast north of Vancouver, deteriorated quickly into a yelling match, with some people accusing the police of grossly overreacting.
Witnesses said officers turned on a group of people celebrating a youth soccer victory, arresting the coach of the soccer team.
Chief Stan Dixon said there were eight or nine 13-year-olds in the back of the coach's truck, showing off the trophy they won from a tournament over the weekend.
It's a tournament and a practice that has more than 30 years of history in the community.
"The police should have asked and let them continue (celebrating) or follow them or join in the parade, that's what they would do in the past," he said in an interview.
Police said officers were trying to stop the overloaded pickup truck. People from about 15 vehicle that were part of the progression came out of their cars and officers used pepper spray when the group became threatening.
While the two sides dispute the facts of the case, in the end more than a dozen people were pepper-sprayed, including Shannon Phillips and her baby. Her husband, Troy Mayers, who was driving the pickup truck was arrested and detained for a night.
She admitted to confronting police while they handcuffed her husband but said their reaction crossed the line.
"They strong-armed me.. I had my six-and-a-half-month-old on my hip," she said. "I screamed 'what are you doing?' And the next thing you know, myself and my infant were pepper-sprayed."
She said the incident was caught on tape.
"They (RCMP) had stated . . . that alcohol was involved. That is false." she said. "They said (Mayers) assaulted a police officer. Untrue. They said he resisted arrest. Untrue. And all caught on video."
The incident sparked an outraged reaction from the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, which called the officers' actions "reckless, dangerous and highly irresponsible."
"There is no possible excuse for pepper-spraying babies and small children. No excuse whatsoever."
The chiefs demanded the RCMP apologize to the Sechelt band and backed its call for an "arms-length" investigation into the incident.
Const. Annie Linteau of RCMP E Division said despite the fact that children were present during the confrontation, officers felt threatened for their safety.
"They could have used a baton, which would not have been appropriate in this instance, they used what they had on hand to deal with this angry, hostile situation," she said.
She was also critical of a Phillips whose infant child was hit with the pepper-spray.
"(The child's) parents made a decision to bring those kids there and I have to say the people who got pepper-sprayed, including the mother of that particular child, was exhibiting a very confrontational pulling of the (police) member, pushing of the members," she said. "This is considered a combative behaviour."
Mayers, 42, who was driving the truck faces several charges, including resisting arrest and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.
Dixon said he suspects the officers weren't familiar with the band's tradition of celebrating soccer victories, which he said they've been doing since the 1960s.
"These new police come in because they're here on a different job, different issue regarding a crackdown on safety driving," he said.
"Nobody informed them of our traditions so when they saw that pickup truck with those children on there, they just went after them and created a scene."
After a meeting between RCMP, Dixon and the band council, all sides came to an agreement that the officers would issue and apology.
At the urging of his community, Dixon also filed a public complaint report against the RCMP.
"We want to enhance our relationship with the RCMP because a lot of our children admire the RCMP," he said. "
Before Monday's incident, Dixon said his band's relationship with the RCMP was respectful, with the two sides even competing in baseball tournaments.
The Sechelt First Nation has a longstanding enthusiasm for soccer. There are about seven different teams within the reserve and Dixon said the players often do well.
Another group of over 21 players from the reserve had also won a tournament that same weekend.
"We're very successful in soccer," he said.
The band has about 1,000 members, with 700 living on the reserve.