More than a year after he died while in police custody, family members of Gerald Straightnose continue to demand for answers surrounding the circumstances of his death. Straightnose died less than 48 hours after being taken into custody at the Kamsack RCMP detachment on June 5, 2025. The 61-year-old man was found unresponsive in his cell where he was later pronounced dead. “It’s very painful. It hurts not getting answers for my brother,” Janice Straightnose, Gerald’s sister, told CTV News. On Wednesday, a crowd gathered near the detachment calling for justice and transparency from police. The investigation of the in-custody death by the Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) continues. SIRT is an independent unit responsible for examining serious incidents involving municipal police, RCMP officers or special constables in the province. “I want to know exactly what happened in there right from the beginning to the end,” Janice emphasized. “Why did they hold him in there for so long? There was no need, Gerald turned himself in. He wasn’t this criminal that people had to be afraid of. Gerald was a very kind, humble man. Yeah, he struggled [with] addictions, but it didn’t mean he was violent or whatever.” Straightnose’s decision to turn himself in stemmed from charges in his past. Janice told CTV News her brother did so in order to get his driver’s license back. People from Keeseekoose First Nation and area attended the rally including chiefs from Yorkton Tribal Council, Cote First Nation, Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) and others. “We’re here to say as a federation, we fully support the family and getting those answers and getting justice one way or the other,” said FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron. “Today signifies that his memory is still alive. His spirit is still strong within us and we’re not going to give up. I mean, we’re going to go the distance on this and the many others that are facing similar problems.” In a statement to CTV News, the Ministry of Justice confirmed it cannot provide any additional information as the investigation is ongoing. “The time it takes to complete a SIRT investigation is based on a wide variety of factors, including the amount of evidence that needs to be reviewed, the number of witnesses that need to be interviewed, and other unique factors, including external reports, that may differ from investigation to investigation,” the statement read. “As the conclusion of this investigation involves several factors external to SIRT, we are unable to offer a timeline for its conclusion.” The ministry said the probe’s findings will be made public within 90 days of the investigation wrapping up – in keeping with The Police Act, 1990. In the meantime, friends and family of Straightnose said they will not stop demanding action and accountability. “They say they want to build relationships, but how are you going to build a relationship if you’re not honest? Sincere? Truthful?” Janice expressed. “I [was] raised in a good home. My parents guided us to spirituality. They were residential school survivors themselves, and the genocide and oppression to this needs to stop.”
