Atlantic First Nations want meeting with feds after two men shot by police

CITYnews halifax / By The Canadian Press

First Nation chiefs across Atlantic Canada are calling for an urgent meeting with the federal government after two Indigenous men were fatally shot by RCMP officers over the past two weeks.

A group representing Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqey, Peskotomuhkati and Innu communities say they want to meet as soon as possible with federal ministers and senior leadership from the RCMP.

The chiefs issued a statement saying they have serious concerns following the deaths of a man in Neqotkuk First Nation in New Brunswick on Sunday and another in Sipekne’katik First Nation in Nova Scotia last week.

Paul Bronson was identified Monday as the man shot and killed by RCMP officers who responded to what police have called a domestic dispute at a residence in Neqotkuk First Nation.

Police say an RCMP officer shot and killed a man from Sipekne’katik First Nation along a highway north of Halifax after issuing a warning to residents in the area about a man with a firearm driving a blue Honda.

Related:

• Man killed in police-involved shooting in Sipekne’katik, SiRT investigating
• First Nation chief says N.B. RCMP detachment is now closed after man shot and killed

Both cases are being investigated by the police oversight agency responsible for Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

The chiefs say there has been an “erosion of trust” in the police watchdog and they’re concerned about the lack of Indigenous perspective in the agency’s investigations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 22, 2026.