Stanley in court again on two gun charges

Saskatchewan farmer Gerald Stanley is expected to appear in North Battleford provincial court today to face two charges related to unsafe storage of firearms.

One of the charges — which dates back to Aug. 9, 2016 when Stanley fatally shot Colten Boushie — relates to the improper storage of six non-restricted weapons and the second relates to the improper storage of a restricted firearm.

The charges are not related to the Tokarev semi-automatic pistol that fired the shot that killed Boushie.

Stanley was initially scheduled to appear in court on the charges last month, but proceedings were adjourned until April 16 because the Crown prosecutor said he needed more time to prepare.

In February, a jury found Stanley not guilty of murder in connection with Boushie’s death. Stanley did not deny causing the young man’s death, but told the jury the fatal shot was an accident. He said he grabbed his Tokarev pistol to fire warning shots in the air after Boushie and his friends trespassed on his land. He argued the fatal bullet discharged from the gun as a result of a hang fire — a rare phenomenon where there is a delay between when the trigger is pulled and when the gun goes off.

Boushie’s family has said Stanley’s acquittal was a miscarriage of justice and an example of the poor treatment Indigenous people experience at the hands of the justice system.

At Stanley’s earlier scheduled court date last month, Boushie’s uncle Alvin Baptiste said he has no faith Stanley will face consequences for anything that transpired on Aug. 9, 2016.

“Most likely it’ll just be swept under the rug like the other charges,” he said.

Most likely it’ll just be swept under the rug like the other charges