An RCMP member from behchoko, N.W.T.

will investigate the claims of Dettah elder Alfred Baillargeon, 74, who claims he was physically abused while in police custody. Baillargeon admits to having been intoxicated on Jan. 22 in Yellowknife when he was picked up by police. He later woke up in the drunk tank wearing only a t-shirt, shorts and socks with his arm injured and swollen, unable even to tie his own shoes. Baillargeon did not remember what happened, but there have been witnesses that saw the incident under investigation. The Dene Nation appointed Francois Paulette as an independent observer as part of a protocol signed in 2007 between the Dene Nation, Northwest Territories Metis Nation, North Slave Metis Alliance and the RCMP to ensure transparency in investigations. There is no timeline set for the completion of the investigation.