VERDICT REACTION

Six Nations calls on province to appeal verdict while community reacts with outrage and disbelief

OHSWEKEN — A Hamilton jury’s decision to acquit the shooter in the death of a young Six Nations man has sparked outrage and shock in his community.

Word of the not-guilty verdict in Peter Khill’s second-degree murder trial spread quickly. “I just think the guy was way too aggressive,” Mike Davey said outside a restaurant in Ohsweken. “I don’t know, it’s just a terrible thing.”

Khill, now 28, shot Jonathan Styres, 29, twice in the early hours of Feb. 4, 2016, after he found him rummaging through his truck in his Binbrook-area driveway.

Lawyer Jeffrey Manishen argued his client, a military reservist who’s white, acted in self-defence when he fired his shotgun at the Six Nations father of two.

Members of the Styres and Khill families didn’t speak to the media after the verdict.

Six Nations Elected Council expressed “shock and disappointment” at the verdict. “How can Indigenous people have faith in the relationship with Canada when the justice system fails to hold anyone accountable for the taking of a life?” Chief Ava Hill said a news release.

Council is also calling on Canada to “overhaul the criminal justice system that overrepresents Indigenous people as victims and accused persons and chronically under-achieves justice.”

It’s also asking Ontario’s Ministry of the Attorney General to appeal the verdict.

A ministry spokesperson declined to comment Wednesday. “As this matter is now subject to an appeal period, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

A spokesperson for federal Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould also said it “would not be appropriate” to comment.

Hill drew parallels between Styres, Colten Boushie, Tina Fontaine and Cindy Gladue, all Indigenous victims whose accused killers were acquitted. “It is unfathomable that their tragic deaths are unanswered by the Canadian justice system.”

In February, the trial of Gerald Stanley — a white Saskatchewan farmer who shot and killed Boushie, a member of Red Pheasant First Nation — was criticized for its all-white jury. It’s not clear if any of the jurors in the Khill trial were Indigenous.

Vicki Chartrand, a sociology professor at Bishop’s University in Sherbrooke, Que., said racism is “inherent” in the Canadian justice system, a product of colonialism.

“What these cases do exemplify is the bigger picture,” said Chartrand, who has written about the Boushie case.

That opinion is far from universal, as evidenced by some comments on Twitter following Wednesday’s verdict.

“An unfortunate situation, but you had every right to protect you and your property,” @speedy_lugnutz wrote about Khill.

Another observer, @clayborne46, tweeted: “This is the right verdict. Styres brought this on himself.”

In Ohsweken, however, Holly Bomberry said the not-guilty verdict shocked her, arguing the outcome would have been different had the shooter been Indigenous.

“If it was a native person, you’d go to jail in a heartbeat.”

Bernie Garlow said Styres shouldn’t have been on Khill’s property, but he didn’t deserve to die.

“You don’t kill people about petty stuff,” he said. “I think a lot people are pissed.”

The Assembly of First Nations declined to comment, noting it is reviewing the verdict.