Roy L Hales/ CKTZ News - The Campbell River RCMP may have gunned down an innocent man when they killed Jared Lowndes on July 8, 2021.

A really old warrant, from a case already resolved
The Independent Investigation Office informed Cortes Currents they could not discuss the warrant RCMP were attempting to enforce, when they killed Lowndes.

The National Police Federation said they were pursuing him for an outstanding warrant for weapons offences.

“The warrant was really old, an outstanding warrant for his DNA, and he was standing on sovereignty, saying they had no right to it,” explained Fay Blaney, the great aunt of Lowndes daughters Phoenix and Patience.

She is also a close friend of Lowndes mother, Laura Hamilton, and has agreed to be the family spokesperson

Blaney added that the case requiring Lowndes DNA had been dismissed. It arose out of a domestic dispute with his common-law wife. She planted a gun in his possessions and called the police. There was no need for his DNA after Lowndes’ common-law wife confessed. He was acquitted.

So why did he run?
“He’s Indigenous. He was by himself and knew what they would do. I mean, they did what he thought they would do,” said Blaney.

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Photo credit: the street-side shrine to Jared Lowndes in Campbell River - photo courtesy friends of the Lowndes family