Police cleared in indigenous man’s death

Family accuses Calgary department of racism in case

CALGARY An Alberta agency that investigates police says Calgary officers won’t be charged in the case of a young indigenous man they arrested who was later found dead.

Police charged 18-year-old Colton Crowshoe in July 2014 with trespassing and break and enter.

He was released from custody, but a few days later his family reported him missing.

Crowshoe’s body was discovered three weeks later in a city retention pond and an autopsy determined his death was a homicide.

His relatives said police did not take their missing person report seriously and accused the force of racism.

Susan Hughson of the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team says the police made mistakes, but those mistakes were not the result of racism and did not amount to a crime.

“The evidence does not establish reasonable grounds to believe that a criminal offence was committed by any officer of the Calgary Police Service in relation to this missing person investigation,” Hughson said Thursday.

“As such, no officer will be charged with respect to this aspect of the investigation.”

Hughson also looked at whether police roughed up Crowshoe when he was arrested and whether it amounted to assault.

She said police have certain protections under the Criminal Code that permit force to be used so long as it is done in the execution of their duties.

“In this case, it is clear that at the time this contact occurred, the officer is in the lawful execution of his duties. He is doing his job.”

Hughson said Crowshoe was last seen on video walking away from a police station.

She said he appeared to be in good spirits and, aside from an abrasion to his right temple area, he was uninjured.

Crowshoe’s homicide remains under investigation.