Thunder Bay police practices need review, Fort William First Nation chief says

The Chief of Fort William First Nation says he supports a call for a comprehensive review of the way Thunder Bay police investigate the deaths of Indigenous peoples.

Peter Collins met last week with the the brotherof Stacy DeBungee and the chief of Rainy River First Nation, the home community of the DeBungee family.

They're asking Ontario's civilian oversight body, the Office of the Independent Police Review Director,to order a new investigation into DeBungee's death and to conduct a review of Thunder Bay police practices.

• Thunder Bay police 'racism' must be rooted out, lawyer says

"We all feel the pain and we all feel the suffering of the communities when they lose their family members or their loved ones and they're not dealt with adequately," he said.

DeBungee's body was found in the McIntryre River last October.

Thunder Bay police quickly deemed it "non-criminal."

A private investigator later hired by the DeBungee family said hefound reasons to be suspicious, such as the use of Stacy DeBungee's bank card after he had died.

The lawyer for Thunder Bay police saidthe investigation intoDeBungee'sdeath is ongoing.

Chief Collins saidFirst Nations people need more say in the way police operate.