It has not yet been decided whether police officers involved in the investigation into the death of Stacy DeBungee will face disciplinary hearings. An adjudicator reviewing the case reserved decision after hearing arguments about whether proceedings against the Thunder Bay Police Service officers can go ahead.
The case of Stacy DeBungee
Stacy DeBungee, a member of Rainy River First Nations, was found dead in the McIntyre River in Thunder Bay. Within hours, police declared that his death was not suspicious. His family disputed that conclusion and hired a private investigator, who raised serious concerns about how the police investigation had been conducted.
The family filed a complaint with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director, the Ontario agency that oversees public complaints against police. The OIPRD's investigation found grounds for misconduct allegations against several officers, including neglect of duty and discreditable conduct.
The question of timing
Under Ontario's Police Services Act, disciplinary proceedings must normally begin within a set period after the facts become known, unless the police services board grants an extension. The officers' lawyers argued that the time limit had passed and that the hearings should not proceed. Lawyers for the family and the complainant argued that an extension was justified given the seriousness of the allegations and the public interest.
After hearing both sides, the adjudicator said a decision would be issued at a later date.
Broader concerns in Thunder Bay
The DeBungee case is part of a wider pattern of concerns about how Thunder Bay police have investigated the deaths of Indigenous people. A systemic review by the OIPRD, titled Broken Trust, concluded that racism existed at an institutional level within the force and recommended that a number of death investigations be reopened. A separate review of the Thunder Bay Police Services Board also called for significant changes.
For many Indigenous families in the region, the outcome of the DeBungee hearings is seen as a test of whether police accountability is possible.
What comes next
If the adjudicator allows the hearings to go ahead, the officers will face formal disciplinary proceedings in which the misconduct allegations will be examined. If not, the matter may end without a hearing, although the family could pursue other legal avenues.
The DeBungee family has said that their goal is not only accountability for their own loss but also change, so that other families do not experience the same treatment when a loved one dies.