British Columbia

Heiltsuk Nation says an RCMP officer is being transferred out of the community following claims of him making racist comments and posts on social media.

“We want to thank our community for reporting the racist Facebook posts and for raising their voices against racism and calling for accountability,” Heiltsuk Nation elected Chief Marilyn Slett said Thursday in an emailed release.

The Nation says the officer will be leaving the community this weekend, “and from now until his departure, will not be working another shift in Bella Bella.”

RCMP shared the news with Heiltsuk joint leadership on Wednesday, the Nation says.

It comes less than a week after the Heiltsuk shared the posts on the officer’s personal account, and days after Heiltsuk members protested outside of the RCMP detachment in Bella Bella on May 24.