N.B. RCMP officer won’t be charged in connection with Indigenous man’s fatal shooting

A New Brunswick RCMP officer won’t be disciplined after a fatal shooting last fall.

The Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) says a New Brunswick RCMP officer won’t be charged in connection with the fatal shooting of an Indigenous man last year.

Two members of the RCMP responded to a home Elsipogtog First Nation the night of Sept. 8, 2024, following 911 calls about a man in mental distress who was in possession of weapons.

Police found the man in a bedroom of the home and tried to speak with him.

SiRT says the man showed signs of intoxication and was holding multiple throwing axes.

The officers told the man to drop to weapons or he would be Tasered.

SiRT says the man did not comply with the officers’ commands and threw one of the axes towards the officers and other people in the home.

One officer discharged his Taser at the man.

SiRT says the man then tried to throw a second axe and the other officer shot him.

Paramedics was called and the man was taken to hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

RCMP contacted SiRT the next morning and their investigation started that day.

The victim was later identified as Steven ‘Iggy’ Dedam of Elsipogtog First Nation.

An autopsy was completed which found the cause his death was gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen.

SiRT’s director Erin Nauss says she has found no grounds to believe the officer who shot Dedam committed a criminal offence.

“I recognize that this was a tragic situation, and the events outlined in this report have been exceptionally challenging for all involved,” she said in the report, which was released Thursday.

The New Brunswick RCMP says it respects SIRT’s conclusion.

“The New Brunswick RCMP continues to advocate for initiatives and support programs that will help Indigenous First Nations as we progress forward. The New Brunswick RCMP fully respects and continually promotes the cultures, values, and traditions of Indigenous peoples and understands the important role police officers have in Indigenous First Nations communities,” said Matco Sirotic, commanding officer of the New Brunswick RCMP.

SiRT is responsible for investigating all serious incidents involving police in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.