Prince George, BC –  The Commission for Public Complaints against the RCMP is expected to release its report examining the in-custody death of Clay Alvin Willey of Prince George tomorrow morning.  Prince George RCMP have scheduled an 11am news conference to respond.

The CPC initiated a public complaint in January of 2009 to examine all in-custody deaths involving tasers between January 1, 2001 and January 1, 2009.  The Aboriginal man’s death was part of this initial complaint.  Willey was arrested for creating a public disturbance at Parkwood Place Mall in July of 2003.  He was arrested, hog-tied, and tasered multiple times.  He died in the custody of Prince George RCMP.

The jury at a Coroner’s Inquest held in 2004 ruled Willey’s death accidental, caused by a cocaine overdose.  But one of the pieces of evidence considered was a compilation of video footage from security cameras throughout the Prince George RCMP detachment showing Willey’s treatment by officers. 

In November of 2009, the BC Civil Liberties Association, the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, a forensic pathologist, and an independent journalist investigating in-custody deaths called on the RCMP to release both the edited and full video.  At that time, UBCIC Grand Chief Stewart Phillip said, "Even the edited footage shows Mr. Willey hog tied and being dragged around the Prince George RCMP detachment and being tasered while lying helpless on his stomach.  If you treated any animal the way Mr. Willey was treated, there is little doubt that you would be facing criminal cruelty charges."

Based on the allegations, BC’s Solicitor-General at that time requested the Commission for Public Complaints expand the scope of its investigation of the Willey case to also look at:

• whether the RCMP members involved in the investigation of Mr. Willey’s arrest and subsequent death conducted an investigation that was adequate, and free of actual or perceived conflict of interest; and
• whether any other video evidence exists and whether any RCMP member concealed, tampered with or otherwise inappropriately modified in any way, any evidence, in particular any video evidence, relating to the arrest of Mr. Willey.

A little more than two years later, and eight-and-a-half years after Willey’s death, the CPC will release its findings.