‘I remember his smile’: Indigenous man’s daughter speaks after 5 RCMP officers charged in his death

She said his smile and his laugh were contagious. He could light up a room.

“He could make anybody laugh at any time, no matter what kind of a mood they were in,” Namox said. “That’s definitely probably the biggest thing that I carry with myself and in my own personality that I definitely take from him and that I also try and carry on.”

She wears a necklace every day with some of her dad’s ashes inside.

Namox’s dad was Dale Culver, an Indigenous man who died while in police custody in Prince George more than five-and-a-half-years ago.

On Wednesday, five B.C. RCMP officers were charged in his death.

Two officers were charged with manslaughter, while three others were charged with attempting to obstruct justice in relation to the July 18, 2017, incident.

“Definitely a long time waiting,” Namox said, “but it’s definitely reassuring that it’s a step in the right direction for me and my family and many of the other cases that have been coming more and more and more to light about RCMP brutality and people dying in RCMP custody and things like that.”

She said she would like an apology for the fact that it took so long to lay charges and she would like to hear from each of the officers involved in her dad’s death.

“Nobody should die in police custody, whether it’s any kind of crime or anything, nobody deserves to have their life taken,” Namox said.

“And especially in a place where there’s no love, if that makes sense. They have nobody around them. They’re scared and they’re dying. And that’s unfortunate. And it’s really sad.”

According to the Independent Investigations Office, the incident began around 10:30 p.m. on July 18, 2017, as police responded to reports of a man casing parked vehicles in the 1000 block of Central Street West in Prince George.

The IIO said the man reportedly tried to flee when questioned by an officer.

“While attempting to take the man into custody, a struggle ensued between him and the officer and additional officers then arrived. OC (pepper) spray was used,” the IIO said in a May 2020 media release.

“The male appeared to be having trouble breathing and police requested medical assistance. Officers reported that the male was removed from the police vehicle when Emergency Health Services (EHS) arrived and collapsed. The male was pronounced deceased shortly thereafter.”

Cellphone video obtained by Global News shows portions of the arrest. At one point in the video, multiple officers can be seen holding a man down, while later, a single officer can be seen pinning him to the sidewalk.

Const. Paul Ste-Marie and Const. Jean Francois Monette are now facing manslaughter charges.

Const. Arthur Dalman, Const. Clarence (Alex) Alexander MacDonald and Sgt. Bayani (Jon) Eusebio Cruz are facing charges of attempting to obstruct justice.

All of the officers are due for a first appearance in Prince George provincial court on March 14.

In an email, BC RCMP spokesperson Dawn Roberts said Mounties had fully cooperated with the investigation, but raised concerns about the six years it took for prosecutors to approve charges.

“It put undue stress on the man’s family, our members and their families, and the community which has been looking for clarity and answers on what occurred,” Roberts wrote.

Roberts said Const. MacDonald was currently on administrative leave for reasons unrelated to the charges, while the four other officers remained on operational status.

Namox said it is shocking and hurtful the officers were able to work for the five-and-a-half years that it took to file charges.

by Amy Judd / Global News

‘I remember his smile’: Indigenous man’s daughter speaks after 5 RCMP officers charged in his death

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