Boushie family sues RCMP, farmer

The family of an Indigenous man shot to death on a Saskatchewan farm has filed lawsuits against the RCMP and the farmer acquitted in the killing.

Colten Boushie was killed after being shot in the head on a farm near the community of Biggar in August 2016. Gerald Stanley, the landowner, was found not guilty of second-degree murder after testifying that his gun went off accidentally as he was shooting to scare away young people he thought were stealing from him.

The claim against Stanley, filed in Saskatoon court, argues that the farmer caused Boushie’s death through negligence, recklessness, or by an intentional act.

“This lawsuit will prove that the death of Colten Boushie was wrongful and that the Boushie family suffered a profound and devastating loss the night Colten was fatally shot,” lawyer Eleanore Sunchild said in a statement Thursday. “This lawsuit will hold the person responsible for Colten’s wrongful death accountable. Nothing can return Colten to his family, yet the Boushie family will continue its relentless pursuit of justice for Colten.”

None of the allegations have been proven in court. The suit argues that Stanley or his family members never attempted to contact police when they saw the young people on the property.

It also says that Stanley’s wife, Leesa, is a registered nurse and didn’t take any action to provide life saving measures.