List grows of Mounties suing attorney general over 2014 Moncton shootings

MONCTON

More than a dozen RCMP officers who responded to shootings in Moncton, N.B., that claimed the lives of three of their colleagues in 2014 are now looking to sue the attorney general of Canada for negligence.

Originally four officers filed statements of claim with the Court of Queen’s Bench last month, but other current and former officers have joined the list, while two who had filed claims have withdrawn them.

The filings say the officers were inadequately trained and outfitted to deal with a heavily armed shooter on June 4, 2014, and now they suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and other ailments.

Constables Fabrice Gevaudan, Dave Ross and Doug Larche were killed, while constables Eric Dubois and Darlene Goguen were wounded when Justin Bourque targeted police officers in hopes of sparking an anti-government rebellion. The rampage set off a 30-hour manhunt that drew in officers from around the region.

Bourque pleaded guilty and was given three consecutive life sentences without chance of parole for at least 75 years.

Court documents detail the anguish felt by officers who survived the shootings and now suffer nightmares and PTSD.

The statement of claim from Const. Martine Benoit describes the danger officers faced.

“The plaintiff attempted to exit her vehicle to assess the situation when she was ambushed by the shooter before she could get out and she was being fired at with heavy gunfire,” it says. “The plaintiff remained in her vehicle and ducked behind the engine block to use it as cover. She tried to reverse the vehicle without success because it was disabled by the gunfire.”