Boushie family sues RCMP, man’s shooter
SASKATOON — The family of an Indigenous man shot to death on a Saskatchewan farm has filed lawsuits against the RCMP and the farmer who was 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.
None of the allegations have been proven in court. Stanley’s lawyer did not immediately return requests for comment.
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.
Boushie’s mother, Debbie Baptiste, is seeking $30,000 for herself, $20,000 for funeral expenses, $60,000 in expenses, $100,000 because she was unable to work after her son’s death, and $200,000 in damages.
The RCMP said that it would issue a statement later Thursday.