N.B. RCMP detachment is now closed after man shot and killed: First Nation chief

The New Brunswick RCMP shot and killed a man on Sunday.

TOBIQUE FIRST NATION — Neqotkuk First Nation Chief Ross Perley says his community is “sad, shocked, outraged all at the same time,” after the RCMP shot and killed a man on their territory in northwestern New Brunswick on Sunday evening.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Perley said the RCMP failed to follow a protocol that calls for them to request assistance from the First Nation’s council, outreach team or tribal security, when needed.

“It was a reckless and careless action by the officers that attended the call,” he said on Monday. “In the province of New Brunswick, 75 per cent of police incidents that result in death come at the expense of Indigenous people... which means that it’s a systemic racism problem.”

Neqotkuk First Nation, also known as Tobique First Nation, is located near the province’s border with Maine.

Perley said the nation’s security team members are there to help de-escalate “so things like this don’t happen.”

But they never got the opportunity to assist the RCMP on Sunday, he added.

As a result, Perley said the nation has closed the RCMP’s detachment in the community “indefinitely” and expects the Mounties to work elsewhere. He did not elaborate on how the closure would be enforced.

The RCMP and the New Brunswick Department of Justice did not immediately respond to questions about the detachment’s status.

A statement issued late Sunday from the Neqotkuk First Nation identified the deceased as Bronson Paul and extended condolences to his family and friends.

“Bronson was a son, father, brother, partner, nephew and so much more,” the statement said.

An agency that oversees police in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick says it’s investigating.

Perley said that a sacred fire has been lit at a community hall as members try piecing together what happened. “We understand that our community members are angry, confused, scared and shocked. We share that sentiment with all of our community members.”

The nation also said in its statement that it would keep the RCMP detachment closed “until we know that it is safe for our community members.”

The New Brunswick RCMP said in a statement Monday their officers responded to a report of a “domestic dispute” at a residence on Main Street in Neqotkuk First Nation.

“As the situation quickly evolved, a man armed with an edged weapon advanced towards members,” the statement said.

Police say a conducted energy weapon was deployed “ineffectively” and an officer discharged their firearm at the man. First aid was administered at the scene, police say, and he was taken to hospital where he died.

“We are unsure why lethal force was used in this case; however, Bronson is another Indigenous man who was killed in the hands of the police, along with Rodney Levi, Chantel Moore and Steven (Iggy) Dedam,” Perley said.

Levi was shot and killed by RCMP in Sunny Corner, N.B., about 30 kilometres west of Miramichi, in June 2020. The coroner’s inquest ruled the death a homicide and made a slew of recommendations, including that the RCMP not be the first responders during mental wellness checks on First Nations. Moore was shot and killed during a wellness check by Edmundston Police that same month. The coroner’s recommendations in her case included more training for police and for them to increase their use of less lethal tools.

Dedam from Elsipogtog First Nation, which is about 60 kilometres north of Moncton, was shot and killed by an RCMP officer in September 2024. The police watchdog determined last year the officer involved did not commit a criminal offence when he discharged his firearm.

Their deaths prompted outrage and calls from First Nations for an independent inquiry into systemic racism in the justice system.

Premier Susan Holt said she is deeply saddened by Paul’s death.

“Our thoughts are with his children, his family, and the entire Neqotkuk community as they navigate this difficult and painful time,” Holt said in an emailed statement.

“We have offered Chief Perley and council our support and are committed to ensuring that the investigation proceeds in a fair, transparent and urgent way, so the family and community can have the answers and long-term solutions they need.”

On Friday, the New Brunswick government shared their first official response to a 2022 report on systemic racism, but the province is not committing to moving ahead with key recommendations related to racism in policing.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 19, 2026.

-- By Lyndsay Armstrong in Halifax.