A local man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for manslaughter.
On Tuesday, March 7, 2023, shortly before 9 p.m., Prince George RCMP responded to an altercation at an apartment building on the 1500-block of Queensway. When police officers arrived at the location, they found one man deceased. The victim was identified as Davis Smith.
The Serious Crime Unit quickly took conduct of the investigation and, on April 17, 2023, announced they had determined as suspect in the matter; one count of manslaughter was approved by the B.C. Prosecution Service at that date. Dakota Rayn Keewatin was subsequently arrested by investigating officers while in custody on an unrelated matter.
On October 11, 2024, Keewatin was charged with second degree murder. On August 19, 2026, following a trial in B.C. Supreme Court, Mr. Keewatin was convicted of the lesser included offence of manslaughter.
On March 6, 2026, Keewatin was sentenced in B.C. Supreme Court to an effective sentence of seven years in prison for the shooting of Davis Smith. As part of the sentencing, Mr. Keewatin received credit for approximately four years and four months of pre-sentence custody, leaving approximately two years and eight months left to serve.
“Our frontline police officers did a great job of securing the scene quickly and effectively. Responding police officers have a difficult and busy job and it is investigations like these that highlight their importance. Many police officers were involved in this file and, due to their professionalism and commitment, contributed to the result we see today,” said Sergeant Dale Baker, Commander of the Prince George RCMP’s Serious Crime Unit.
