Boushie’s death being exploited, family says
Stanley’s legal team reaches out to publishers
WINNIPEG • When Gerald Stanley testified in a Saskatchewan court last month, he told a jury his version of what happened on the summer day in 2016 when Colten Boushie, a young Indigenous man, was fatally shot.
People heard Stanley’s story in court or followed it across Canada in news reports.
Boushie’s cousin Jade Tootoosis says the 22-year-old from Red Pheasant First Nation will never get that same opportunity.
Tootoosis says she was disgusted to learn the law firm representing Stanley has been reaching out to different publishing companies.
“It feels like he is further exploiting the death by trying to make a profit of it,” Tootoosis said in an interview.
Boushie died after being shot in the back of the head as he sat in an SUV on the farm near Biggar.
Stanley was acquitted of second-degree murder after testifying that the gun went off accidentally.
The case was filled with racial tension and the verdict sparked rallies across the country.
Boushie’s family members have found support in each other and people across the country as they try to move forward and advocate for changes to the justice system, Tootoosis said.
When they heard publishing companies had been contacted on Stanley’s behalf, they were appalled because “the entire court process gave Gerald Stanley the full platform,” she said.
“He is alive here to be able to tell his story and he did. That was what the court process was about,” she said.
“I just can barely comprehend this individual and his motives and what he is trying to accomplish or achieve. It’s just upsetting.”
Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, which represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan, said it was “absolutely chaotic for (Stanley) to think, ‘I’m going sell a book, I’m going to publish a book.’”
Toronto-based publisher Between The Lines (BTL) released a statement Thursday indicating it had rejected a request for a meeting with Stanley’s legal team and encouraged other publishers to do the same.
Lawyer Scott Spencer confirmed his office made inquiries on Stanley’s behalf because “Gerry just wants to see the public record set straight.”
Spencer said Stanley is not seeking a book deal.