General

RCMP to discuss shootings in Kimmirut, Nunavut

RCMP have called a public meeting in Kimmirut, Nunavut to investigate why so many locals have taken to shooting at police officers in recent years, the Canadian Press reports.

Last weekend, a 20 year old man open fired on a detachment office and police truck, before being disarmed and subdued by 10 fellow citizens. This was just the latest incident of young men in the community firing on RCMP officers. In March, shots were fired into the homes of two Mounties, who were both with their families at the time. There have been eight incidents of officers being fired on in the small town, population 400, since 2006.

Const. Douglas Scott was killed in one such incident in November of 2007 when he was shot in the head while seated in his vehicle.

The violence has been committed almost exclusively by young men, many of whom were drunk at the time, but police and local officials posit that the motivations for the crimes lie in deeply rooted social problems.

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