Family wants answers

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The family of Connie and Ty Jacobs want answers about their shooting deaths on the Tsuu T'ina First Nation on March 22.

The mother and son were killed during a confrontation with RCMP at their home on the reserve near Calgary. It is believed the two were killed by a shotgun blast fired by an Okotoks RCMP officer who was called to the home to assist tribal police and social workers who were trying to remove children from the house.

At a press conference in Red Deer on April 2, Jacobs' mother, father, brother, sister and family friends said they were being kept in the dark about what happened.

"There are so many questions that have to show up," said brother Brian Lambert, a member of the Samson First Nation at Hobbema.

Lambert 's first unanswered question is about the use of the shotgun.

"The officer who was there had a sidearm attached to his hip, but he didn't use that," said Lambert.

He said using a shotgun and spraying pellets everywhere was not the right thing to do, especially since the police knew there were children in the house.

"Common sense would tell you that. It just doesn't make any sense."

The family believes that Jacobs' nine year old son was actually in the direct line of fire, and not hidden behind his mother as the police have reported.

Lambert also wanted to know why the police waited four hours after shooting his sister to enter the house.

"They just more or less let them die. There was no attempt to help them," he said, adding that no one, except for the people who were there, even know if the two were killed instantly by the blast. They may have died during the four hour wait, he said.

Jacob's mother. Justine Applegarth, visibly upset during the interview, has a tragic picture of her daughter and grandson's final hours of life.

"They were bleeding to death in the living room," she said through tears.

Jacobs' sister, Cynthia Applegarth said the tragic death of her sister and nephew were the net result of a system which had failed them.

She said the initial contact by the social worker and the tribal police member could have resulted in a much less confrontational manner. Instead of calling the RCMP, she said, they should have brought some friends or family to the house to talk with Jacobs.

"There were people out there who could've talked to her. . . Had those people been called there, I think Connie would be alive today," Applegarth said.

Applegarth added that her sister was a victim of the poor living conditions faced by many "grass-roots" people living in Canada's First Nations. High unemployment, poor living conditions, and a lack of resources all played a factor in this tragedy, she said. More incidents are likely to follow, she warned.

"As long as we have these conditions. . . we are going to have death and suicide and murder," she said.

Making any changes to the conditions on reserves is a difficult thing to do for "grassroots" people, she continued. She said band officials, government officials and Native national leaders have not offered any answers to conditions on the reserves. They haven't even helped find the family any answers in this tragedy, said Applegarth.

After initially being told by Tsuu T'ina First Nations chief Roy Whitney and Assembly of First Nations Grand Chief Phil Fontaine that answers would be uncovered, the family has heard nothing.

"They gave me their condolences. . . " said Applegarth

". . . and that's the last we've heard of them," finished Lambert.

The family hasn't even seen the autopsy report. Applegarth said she knows that her sister was hit in the upper body and Ty was shot in the face because "I was at the funeral home to dress the bodies, so I saw the condition of the bodies."

When asked about incidents leading up to the March 22 shooting - the reports that Jacobs' husband had been earlier sent to the hospital after a dispute with Jacobs, or that Jacobs had fired at the police with her own gun - the family said they couldn't comment on that. Only the peoplethere know what happened, reiterated Lambert.

Jacobs' father, Louis Lambert did say that he didn't believe his daughter even knew how to fire a gun. To hear the police reports that she opened fire on the police was a shock to him. More of a shock, he said, was the use of a shotgun to return fire.

He said even if a person is out waving a gun around and may be endangering themselves or others, rarely do you hear of police using a shotgun. Special tactical units are called in, where a sharpshooter and a single bullet rifle may be used.

"If the shotgun wasn't used, at least one more person could have come out alive," said Lambert.

All the family can do now is wait for answers.

Family friend Debbie Nepoose said the questions about the whole situation aren't going to be allowed to go away, however. In fact, family and friends seem prepared to fight anyone they have to in order to get to the bottom of the tragedy.

"We'll raise holy hell to get these people an understanding of what's going on," said Nepoose.

An RCMP news release about the shooting reports that "once the RCMP member arrived at the scene, the residence was again approached. The police officers were fired upon by a female suspect using a rifle. Police were forced to return fire in self-defense."

The RCMP is currently conducting its own criminal investigation into the shooting. Following the outcome of the investigation, a fatality inquiry will be held. The inquiry will be headed by Thomas Goodson, an Aboriginal provincial court judge.

Indian Affairs minister Jane Stewart said she wants the family to know that the government will do everything it can to get them the answers they deserve. When asked if a full-scale, federal inquiry would be conducted, Stewart said there are options the department is looking at.

"Solicitor General Andy Scott has told me he would be willing to consider other ways if the criminal investigation or the investigation under the Fatalities Act leaves questions unanswered. At the federa level, my department is working in partnership with the Solicitor General and I think that's the best approach. But I want to assure the family that we want to make sure that all the questions surrounding this tragedy are answered."

She said the department will continue to work with the Tsuu T'ina community.

"The department is working very closely with the community. The chief has made some recommendations and we're staying in close contact with the situation.

Connie Jacobs' other children are now staying with their father.

The family is seeking legal council, but would not say if they were considering a lawsuit agains the RCMP.

Funeral services were held for Connie and Ty Jacobs on March 28 at the Tsuu T'ina First Nation.