

Falconers LLP represents the family of Stacy DeBungee, as well as the community of Rainy River First Nations, in relation to the loss of Stacy in October 2015. His body was recovered from the McIntryre River at 9:30 am on October 19, 2015. Thunder Bay Police Service declared his death to be not ‘suspicious’ within 3 hours, and deemed it non-criminal by the next day.
On March 18, 2016, Stacey’s family and the leadership of Rainy River First Nations filed an OIPRD complaint regarding a lack of thorough investigation into Stacey’s death on the part of the Thunder Bay Police Service, and pointing to a systemic issue in the investigations of drowning deaths of Indigenous men and boys.
Related Documents
OIPRD Complaint March 18, 2016
OIPRD Response To Complaint July 4, 2016
Letter to Jacqueline Dojack, Chair, Thunder Bay Police Services Board from Falconers LLP September 7, 2016
Letter from J.P. Levesque, Chief of Police September 9, 2016
Media Release: Stacy DeBungee Thunder Bay Police, October 20, 2015
Media Release: Jethro Anderson Thunder Bay Police, November 11, 2000
Media Release: Reggie Bushie Thunder Bay Police, November 2, 2007
Transcript, Julian Falconer Cross-Examination of Allan Shorrock First Nations Youth Inquest, November 5, 2015
In the News
Lawyers, media driving wedge between city and Indigenous people: Mayor TBNewsWatch, September 27, 2016
Crime generally going down; Some lawyers hurting city’s cohesive efforts: Mayor The Chronicle Journal, September 27, 2016
Police conduct investigated in McIntyre River death TBNewsWatch, September 23, 2016
Thunder Bay, Ont., police face ‘systemic review’ of Indigenous death investigations CBC News, September 23, 2016
Thunder Bay Police Service Under Investigation Net News Ledger, September 23, 2016
Thunder Bay police face allegations of ‘systemic’ racism Toronto Star, September 22, 2016
Thunder Bay police practices need review, Fort William First Nation chief says CBC, March 29, 2016
City Police Accused Of “Tunnel Vision,” Racism Magic 99.9, Thunder Bay, March 27, 2016
Thunder Bay police ‘racism’ must be rooted out, lawyer says: Police too quick to deem Indigenous deaths ‘non-criminal,’ formal complaint alleges CBC, March 25, 2016
Listen to CBC’s World Report from March 25, 2016 here
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Sex trade stigma can be deadly for Indigenous women, Chief says CBC, March 23, 2016
Thunder Bay police criticized for response to Indigenous woman found naked on city street CBC, March 22, 2016