Killing of Chantel Moore

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On June 4, 2020, Chantel Moore, an Indigenous Canadian woman, was shot and killed by Constable Jeremy Son of the Edmundston police during a wellness check at her home. The case drew national attention, but New Brunswick’s public prosecution service later said Son’s actions were reasonable under the circumstances, and he was not charged.

Moore had recently moved to Edmundston to be closer to her mother and her six-year-old daughter. The wellness check was requested by Moore’s boyfriend in Montreal, who was worried after Moore reported harassment or a possible break-in during a housewarming party. When the officer arrived, Moore opened the door while holding a knife and walked toward him. After the officer gave commands in French to drop the knife and they were not followed, the officer fired four times, killing Moore. The officer did not have a Taser.

There were questions about not using non-lethal options, and about the lack of body cameras for Edmundston police. Indigenous leaders and Moore’s family argued the shooting was excessive, given her small size and the fact she had only a knife. Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said he did not understand how someone could die during a wellness check.

New Brunswick does not have its own police investigation service, so Quebec’s Bureau of Independent Investigations looked into the case. The investigation finished in December 2020 and was sent to New Brunswick’s public prosecution service to decide on charges. The prosecution later concluded that the officer’s actions were reasonable, noting he was on a balcony and Moore appeared to pose a potentially lethal threat.

The incident highlighted how police handle mental health and crisis calls. The coroner’s inquest made 20 recommendations to improve police responses. At the time, Edmundston police had only one functioning Taser; their arsenal later expanded to four, and officers gained pepper spray and a telescopic baton as less-lethal tools.

The shooting occurred soon after another high-profile case, prompting calls for better de-escalation. Indigenous leaders and Moore’s family pushed for independent investigations of systemic issues in policing. Protests and healing walks took place across Canada.

In 2021, Moore’s family filed a lawsuit alleging inadequate training for officers involved in wellness checks and claiming negligence by Son. The city and Son denied the allegations, and the case had not been decided yet.

In 2023, New Brunswick reached an agreement with Nova Scotia to let Nova Scotia’s Serious Incident Response Team open an office in New Brunswick to act as a local police watchdog.