Indigenous teen’s death in Thunder Bay ruled a homicide

By Staff The Canadian Press

Posted December 14, 2018 11:34 am EST

1 min read

This article is more than 5 years old and some information may not be up to date.

A damning report by Ontario's police watchdog has determined that Thunder Bay Police Service is rife with racism. The report entitled "Broken Trust" says nine homicide investigations were so problematic, they should be reinvestigated. Mike Le Couteur has more on the report and the emotional response from the community – Dec 12, 2018

THUNDER BAY, Ont. – Police say the death of an Indigenous teen whose body was found in a Thunder Bay, Ont., park is being treated as a homicide.

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Thunder Bay police say a passerby discovered 17-year-old Braiden Jacob around 11:30 a.m. on Sunday in Chapples Park.

Police have revealed few details about the death of Jacob, who had travelled to Thunder Bay from Webequie First Nation for grief and trauma counselling.

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They say Jacob was last seen on Dec. 6.

The news comes days after Ontario’s police watchdog issued a scathing report that said Thunder Bay’s force was replete with systemic racism towards Indigenous people.

The Office of the Independent Police Review Director said the investigations into the deaths of nine Indigenous people should be reinvestigated.