MLAs David Shepherd, Rhiannon Hoyle, Sharif Haji, and Naheed Nenshi, Leader of Alberta’s New Democrats, made the following joint statement in response to recent police-involved shootings:
“Our hearts fell when we learned of the shooting of Mathios Arkangelo by Edmonton Police Services (EPS). In meeting with his family, the grief of Mathios’ loved ones is palpable. His death is a horrific tragedy that leaves the African, Caribbean and Black communities in anguish. We stand with the Arkangelo family and we join them in mourning Mathios’ death and asking why so many young racialized people die in encounters with police. The hearts of Albertans in African, Caribbean and Black communities are broken, as is their relationship with law enforcement.
“Less than eight weeks ago another Black young man was shot multiple times by EPS, not far from where Mathios was killed. Our province has the highest rate of police-involved shootings in Canada, and the second highest number of total police-involved shootings in Canada behind Ontario, a province with three times the population. While it is important for ASIRT to determine the circumstances of Mathios’ death, we must take a larger approach to fixing the structural problems with policing in Alberta.
“Gathering race-based data is a critical early step in fixing this problem. Decisions based on data are always stronger than those based on anecdotes. Alberta lags behind in this area, and we urge the UCP to pass the Anti-Racism Act that they voted down in 2022.
“This does not need to be a partisan issue, and we offer credit to Hon. Kaycee Madu for starting work to update the Police Act. However, much more effort remains, and all Albertans expect us to work together and keep them safe from violence in their communities.”
