by Regional Police have charged three people after their investigation into the death of 17 year-old Joneil Hanna.
Hanna died after being hit by a car following a grad party in Leitches Creek on June 10th.
Police say 21 year-old Hayden Kenneth Laffin from Bras d’Or was the driver of the vehicle, and he appeared in court today on charges of attempting to obstruct justice.
However, police say Laffin was not impaired at the time of the accident, and officers had no grounds to demand he take a breathalyser test.
Meanwhile, 52 year-old Kenneth Wilkie and 49 year-old Donna Wilkie from Leitches Creek are charged with allowing drunkenness on their property and are due in court on September 18th.
All of the charges come after some of Hanna’s friends and family criticized the way police handled the case.
Regional Police Chief Peter McIsaac says there was misinformation about the case in the community, the media and on social media.
He also says he requested a parallel investigation by the province’s police watchdog, but the request didn’t fit with the Serious Incident Response Team’s mandate.
Justice Minister Mark Furey has not heeded calls for an independent investigation.
McIsaac says the force will cooperate if an independent investigation is ordered.