But, but he was a good boy, never in trouble, chopped wood for the elders, helped everyone in the community, everybody that new him loved him. /smh
Gerald Stanley Not Guilty
- Thread starter petros
- Start date
Legal reforms after Gerald Stanley case causing confusion
Vague wording in a bill, which made significant changes to Canada’s legal system after the acquittal of Gerald Stanley, has resulted in confusion in courtrooms across the country.
A recent Ontario court ruling could result in dozens of serious criminal cases needing re-trials and a legal expert says it’s not clear how the new law will be consistently applied in Saskatchewan just yet.
“The indecision came about,” said Bill Roe, who practiced criminal law for almost 40 years, “because… parliament did not make it clear whether or not this would apply to pending charges.”
On Sept. 19, 2019, Bill C-75 received royal assent. The legislation banned peremptory challenges — the ability of lawyers to veto potential jurors without providing a reason.
A decision made in January by the Ontario Court of Appeal determined that the abolishment of peremptory rights should not apply to cases where charges were already laid before the bill became law — meaning that the challenges can’t be used in Ontario for cases with charges laid after Sept. 20.
Roe, a sessional lecturer at the University of Saskatchewan College of Law, said only one case has dealt with the issue in Saskatchewan and that the case isn’t binding upon other judges.
“Brother [and sister] judges could disagree with the judge, with Justice Danyliuk’s decision. They could reach their own conclusion and run a jury trial without peremptory challenges,” he said, referring to the R v Dorian case, which took place in October 2019.
Justice R.W. Danyliuk ruled, according to court documents, that peremptory challenges could be used in that jury trial because the charges in Bill C-75 were not retrospectively applicable.
Roe said other judges could look to Danyliuk’s decision but were not restricted by it, meaning they, in theory, could rule that peremptory challenges should not be used in jury selections for ongoing cases for which the charges were laid before Sept. 19.
Saskatchewan is among several provinces tackling the issue. Roe said that different rulings in different provinces likely mean the issue will require the Supreme Court of Canada to make the ultimate determination.
The bill places responsibility for jury selection with the presiding judge, who will ask questions from the respective counsels but leaving inclusion or dismissal up to their discretion.
A Saskatchewan law court spokesperson said she couldn’t “pull together” a number of how many cases were ongoing on Sept. 19, 2019, which could end up as jury trials, given that it would include new arrests from that day and ongoing cases.
A spokesperson for Saskatchewan Justice Minister Don Morgan said the minister was unable to comment on “how a hypothetical case may affect future legislation or justice system processes.”
Peremptory challenges received national attention during the trial of Gerald Stanley, a white man who was acquitted on Feb. 9, 2018, of the killing of Colten Boushie, an Indigenous man, by a jury in Battleford, Sask., with no visibly Indigenous members. Boushie’s family, at the time, said the vetoes were used to ensure that was the case.
Roe said he didn’t know if the new legislation will make jurors and jury selection less prone to biases and that Canadians would have to “wait and see” if the removal of the challenges was a good idea.
“What we want for the accused is a fair trial, that’s, that’s the cornerstone of the Canadian… system of justice.”
www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/legal-reforms-after-gerald-stanley-case-causing-confusion
Here is an example of how the media promotes articles 1 law student opinion leads to a growing concern. Really?
Calls grow for public inquiry into death of Colten Boushie, acquittal of Gerald Stanley
I wonder if he would like to lead the inquiry for his thesis?
Calls grow for public inquiry into death of Colten Boushie, acquittal of Gerald Stanley
I wonder if he would like to lead the inquiry for his thesis?
I think the answer to this is simple...…………...When you enter another person's property, uninvited in a drunken state and act like an idiot you are the one responsible when things go "south"!
Bullshit. The family is responsible for not stepping in when the kid started showing criminal tendencies. But then, as a good portion of them were criminals themselves that was not about to happen. Funny how they talk about 'cultural genocide' when Canadians witness their ceremonies, ceremonial garb, dances, smudging, chants, drum beating and feather waving every time they show up at a protest or blockade. I have attended a couple of Pow Wows at our local reserve - no lack of culture there.
Red Pheasant: Reserve Life is not Healthy, Especially for Young People
Red Pheasant Cree Nation No. 108 is located in Saskatchewan near North Battleford. The band is named after Red Pheasant, brother of Chief Wuttunee (Porcupine). Wuttunee was chief, in 1876, when Red Pheasant was a signatory to Treaty No. 6. Wuttunee did not wish to sign the treaty, so he delegated the task to his brother.
Not enough is known as to why Chief Wuttunee did not want to sign the treaty. Perhaps his reasons were similar to those expressed a century later by another Wuttunee – William – whose life is discussed below.
Today, only a third of the band’s approximately 1890 members actually reside on the reserve; two-thirds have chosen to live elsewhere. There are reasons for this.
This essay will discuss three Indigenous Canadians, all of whom have – or had – roots in Red Pheasant. Two lived off the reserve, maintained productive lives and contributed leadership to their people, and to Canada; one languished on the reserve and died violently at the age of 22.
William (Bill) Wuttunee
There are many, many Wuttunees in Saskatchewan and Alberta, and it is difficult for those of us not close to his family to establish the genealogy of William Wuttunee, born in 1928. However, it might be fair to assume Chief Wuttunee and Red Pheasant were among William’s ancestral relatives.
William Wuttunee attended the Indian residential school at Onion Lake, Saskatchewan until the school burned down in 1943. Later in his life he testified about the wrongdoings he witnessed at the school and assisted other former students with their healing. He completed high school in Battleford, Saskatchewan, achieved a McGill scholarship (rare for anyone in those days, especially an Indigenous student), and earned a law degree from the University of Saskatchewan. Western Canada’s first Indigenous lawyer, he practiced law in Calgary and Northwest Territories, and was a founder of what is now the Assembly of First Nations. Some years later he was delighted to exclaim that there were then some two thousand Indigenous Canadian lawyers!
Wuttunee dedicated much of his life to improving the lives of Indigenous people. In 1971, he wrote a controversial book, Ruffled Feathers, in which he pressed for an end to the apartheid system – still operating in Canada today – through the implementation of the White Paper on Indian Policy (1970). As a result of his advocacy for Indigenous equality with other Canadians, he was barred from Red Pheasant Reserve and twelve other reserves. Unruffled (excuse the pun), William continued his work for the freedom of Indigenous Canadians until his death in 2015.
Aside from his work on indigenous issues, among Wuttunee’s many other important achievements was the part he played in bringing to an end the criminalization of homosexuality in Canada.
Robert-Falcon Ouellette
Robert-Falcon Ouellette was elected to the House of Commons in 2015 to represent the people of Winnipeg Centre. He is the son of a Cree/Metis father from Red Pheasant Reserve and an English mother. His father attended an Indian residential school and later, reportedly, became an alcoholic, sometimes-absent parent. Robert endured hardship and poverty in his young life and experienced homelessness one summer in Winnipeg, but moved on to succeed in acquiring a good education. He studied at the Universities of Calgary and Laval, achieving a PhD in anthropology. He served for 19 years in the Royal Canadian Navy and was later appointed director of Aboriginal Focus Programs at the University of Manitoba prior to his election as a Member of Parliament.
Colten Boushie
Colten Boushie lived on the Red Pheasant Reserve when, at the age of 22, he was shot and killed on August 9, 2016 while engaged with his friends in a drunken rural home invasion after a day of swimming, drinking and shooting. Prior to his death, he spent his days occasionally cutting wood, asking friends for gas money and waiting for “welly day”. His Facebook entries in the months preceding his tragic death reveal a life of boring, mostly unemployed melancholy on the reserve. For example: “Well not going anywhere for now stuck in this s- – – hole we call life … Bored as s- – -.”
Boushie’s posts demonstrate how this kind of life can, and often does, lead young people to thoughts of criminality. He wrote, “Back in the saddle again throw my middle finger up to the law ain’t gotta rob nobody tonight but I do it just because I’m a nut I get bored did some pills but I want more f- – – this world f- – – this town.”
On the first-year anniversary of the acquittal of the farmer who shot him, Boushie’s mother said, “After all this, we still miss him, still love him.” Coming from the mother of a young man meeting such a dreadful end, comments like these are to be expected, and should be accorded respect. Yet, Boushie’s Facebook entry for February 29, 2016 noted, “My family may hate me but in my absence for eternity they’ll say they loved me … Think about it.”
The 2018 acquittal of farmer Gerald Stanley dominated news headlines. Colten’s family members, Indigenous leaders, the Prime Minister and his ministers, current NDP leader, journalists and others commented disapprovingly on the verdict, leading still others to accuse the politicians of interfering with the administration of justice. Then justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould was accused of bias – a serious charge, given her special responsibility as attorney general.
One member of parliament who received public attention – and Indigenous denunciation – was the above-referenced Robert-Falcon Ouellette, who said, “I’m really sorry for the Boushie family. But I’m also sorry for the Stanley family … The Stanley family, and many farmers in Saskatchewan, have the feeling that their property is not respected and people come on to their farms and steal their stuff. They’ve essentially lost two years of their lives. They’ve faced legal bills and great difficulty.”
William Wuttunee passed away unaware of the miserable life of Colten Boushie, and prior to his violent death. Given Wuttunee’s thoughts about Indigenous life as set out in Ruffled Feathers, the perspective he would have had on this sad story might not have surprised anyone. Yet, if his advice about our apartheid system had been followed when he gave it fifty years ago, the tragedy might never have happened. Colten Boushie could have benefited from a better education, meaningful employment, happiness and no interest whatever in criminal activity.
Three people with Red Pheasant backgrounds. Three stories. One inescapable conclusion: reserve life is not healthy, especially for young people.
It is still not too late to do the right thing for future generations.
fcpp.org/2019/10/04/red-pheasant-reserve-life-is-not-healthy-especially-for-young-people/
I didn't watch the movie, was any of Colten's real child hood mentioned in the highly acclaimed film?
Report finds RCMP discriminated against Colten Boushie's mother
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Publishing date:Mar 20, 2021 • 10 hours ago • 1 minute read • comment bubbleJoin the conversation
Debbie Baptiste, mother of the late Colten Boushie, stands in the protest camp on the grounds of the Legislative Building in Regina.
Debbie Baptiste, mother of the late Colten Boushie, stands in the protest camp on the grounds of the Legislative Building in Regina. PHOTO BY TROY FLEECE /Regina Leader-Post
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REGINA — A watchdog’s report into how Mounties handled the high-profile shooting death of a young Indigenous man in Saskatchewan has found officers discriminated against his mother.
The finding is detailed in a report by the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP, which reviewed the investigation into the death of Colten Boushie.
The 22-year-old Cree man from Red Pheasant First Nation was shot and killed in August 2016, while sitting in an SUV which had been driven onto the farm of Gerald Stanley near Biggar, Sask.
A jury acquitted Stanley of second-degree murder after he testified to having fired warning shots and saying his gun “just went off.”
The commission found the way officers treated Boushie’s mother when they notified her of his death amounted to discrimination based on race.
The report detailed how one officer questioned Debbie Baptiste about whether she had been drinking, while someone also told her to “get it together.”
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“The RCMP members provided Ms. Baptiste with little information about what had happened to her son, but proceeded to question her and look in places in her home where no person could be hiding,” it read.
“Not only did the RCMP members’ actions show little regard or compassion for Ms. Baptiste’s distress and pain, they compounded her suffering by treating her as if she was lying.”
It says one officer also checked a microwave where Baptiste told them she had placed her son’s dinner.
“After spending the evening fearing that something had happened to her son and just seeing her worst fears realized, Ms. Baptiste saw her home encircled by a large number of armed police officers and had to endure this treatment from the RCMP members who remained in her home for about 20 minutes,” the report read.
“She was then left with a lasting and painful memory of her interactions with the RCMP, and few answers about what had happened to her son.”
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Publishing date:Mar 20, 2021 • 10 hours ago • 1 minute read • comment bubbleJoin the conversation
Debbie Baptiste, mother of the late Colten Boushie, stands in the protest camp on the grounds of the Legislative Building in Regina.
Debbie Baptiste, mother of the late Colten Boushie, stands in the protest camp on the grounds of the Legislative Building in Regina. PHOTO BY TROY FLEECE /Regina Leader-Post
Article content
REGINA — A watchdog’s report into how Mounties handled the high-profile shooting death of a young Indigenous man in Saskatchewan has found officers discriminated against his mother.
The finding is detailed in a report by the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP, which reviewed the investigation into the death of Colten Boushie.
The 22-year-old Cree man from Red Pheasant First Nation was shot and killed in August 2016, while sitting in an SUV which had been driven onto the farm of Gerald Stanley near Biggar, Sask.
A jury acquitted Stanley of second-degree murder after he testified to having fired warning shots and saying his gun “just went off.”
The commission found the way officers treated Boushie’s mother when they notified her of his death amounted to discrimination based on race.
The report detailed how one officer questioned Debbie Baptiste about whether she had been drinking, while someone also told her to “get it together.”
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“The RCMP members provided Ms. Baptiste with little information about what had happened to her son, but proceeded to question her and look in places in her home where no person could be hiding,” it read.
“Not only did the RCMP members’ actions show little regard or compassion for Ms. Baptiste’s distress and pain, they compounded her suffering by treating her as if she was lying.”
It says one officer also checked a microwave where Baptiste told them she had placed her son’s dinner.
“After spending the evening fearing that something had happened to her son and just seeing her worst fears realized, Ms. Baptiste saw her home encircled by a large number of armed police officers and had to endure this treatment from the RCMP members who remained in her home for about 20 minutes,” the report read.
“She was then left with a lasting and painful memory of her interactions with the RCMP, and few answers about what had happened to her son.”
Report finds RCMP discriminated against Colten Boushie's mother
REGINA — A watchdog’s report into how Mounties handled the high-profile shooting death of a young Indigenous man in Saskatchewan has found officers…
Now we are going to pay
The RCMP destroyed records of police communications from the night Colten Boushie died and conducted a parallel internal probe into the handling of the case without notifying the civilian watchdog, according to a report from the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission.
The CRCC expressed “disappointment and frustration” with the police decision to destroy recordings and transcripts of radio traffic between officers who responded to the fatal shooting of Mr. Boushie, a 22-year-old Cree man, in August, 2016.
The CRCC also said it has “serious concerns” that it wasn’t told about a separate, simultaneous RCMP internal investigation into the handling of the case.
The CRCC is an independent body that investigates public complaints against the RCMP. Mr. Boushie was shot to death when he and four companions entered the property of Saskatchewan farmer Gerald Stanley. Mr. Stanley was eventually found not guilty of second-degree murder in a case that stirred racial tensions and sparked protests.
A CRCC report to be released publicly Monday and obtained by The Globe and Mail says the RCMP racially discriminated against Mr. Boushie’s family when they were notified of his death. In the report, RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki agreed with and accepted that finding. The report did not find racial bias in other police actions.
The CRCC said the police investigation was generally professional and reasonable but it highlighted several serious shortcomings: from surrounding the victim’s family home with weapons drawn and searching it unlawfully, to failing to preserve forensic evidence, issuing press releases that inflamed public feeling and improperly handling witnesses.
When the CRCC requested records of police communications such as radio and telephone calls on the night Mr. Boushie died, the RCMP said the records had already been destroyed. They were deemed to have no evidentiary value to the criminal investigation, the RCMP said, and were disposed of in August, 2018, two years after the events in question, in keeping with records retention policy.
The CRCC investigation, however, was announced in March, 2018, less than two years after Mr. Boushie’s death. Mr. Boushie’s family also began a civil action against the RCMP before two years had elapsed. Recordings of police communications would have been relevant to both of those cases and should have been preserved, said counsel for Mr. Boushie’s mother, Debbie Baptiste.
“They knew there was a civil case. They knew there was an investigation by the CRCC. They knew the family was calling for an inquiry and yet they go and destroy the communications from that day,” said Eleanore Sunchild, Ms. Baptiste’s lawyer. “That is unacceptable.”
She told us he was a good boy
The mother of an Indigenous man shot and killed on a Saskatchewan farm says a watchdog’s review shows the injustice she faced when she was racially discriminated against by RCMP after her son’s death.
“Our family was never going to give up. We were not going to be swept away and treated such as less than human beings,” Debbie Baptiste told a news conference Monday.
Her son, Colten Boushie, died in August 2016 when the SUV he was riding in went onto farmer Gerald Stanley’s property near Biggar, Sask.
A jury acquitted Stanley of second-degree murder, as he testified that he had fired warning shots and the gun “just went off.”
Concerns were raised about how police handled the 22-year-old’s death and the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission studied the RCMP investigation.
The commission outlined several missteps by police, saying that officers treated Boushie’s mother so insensitively when they notified her of his death that it amounted to discrimination.
Baptiste said the report gives the family a small sense of justice after years of fighting for answers.
“If Colten could hear me now, he’d be proud that we continued fighting and never gave up,” Baptiste said.
“He was not a criminal. He was a human being.”
The commission’s report says officers told Baptiste to “get it together,” questioned whether she had been drinking, smelled her breath and searched her home without permission.
“After spending the evening fearing that something had happened to her son and just seeing her worst fears realized, Ms. Baptiste saw her home encircled by a large number of armed police officers and had to endure this treatment from the RCMP members who remained in her home for about 20 minutes,” the commission wrote.
It also found two officers inappropriately showed up to Boushie’s wake to update the mother on the criminal case.
Baptiste held back tears as she said she did not deserve that kind of treatment after her son’s death. She said she was further distressed when the RCMP originally cleared themselves of wrongdoing in the way officers responded.
“It did so much hurt to our family and the community.”
The commission found the way police notified the public about the shooting caused suffering to the young man’s family, because it allowed people to form an inaccurate picture of what happened,
It says an initial press release by RCMP focused mostly on alleged property crimes and failed to mention someone had been arrested for murder in Boushie’s death.
The commission says Boushie didn’t leave the vehicle or touch any of the belongings on Stanley’s farm.
Despite issuing other releases updating the public about the progress of the investigation, the watchdog concluded RCMP communications gave the public piecemeal information, fuelling racial tensions online and in the community.
At one point, former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall called for calm after a deluge of racist and hate-filled messages were posted online about Boushie’s death.
The commission also found RCMP didn’t properly protect the SUV Boushie had been riding in, resulting in the loss of blood spatter and other evidence.
“It is not known, and will never be known, what difference this evidence, as well as any other evidence lost as a result of the failure to protect the vehicle, could have had on the outcome of the case,” the report reads.
The National Police Federation representing front-line officers took issue with the finding of discrimination, and said the review showed police generally carried out a professional investigation.
Now let's rewrite history
The RCMP destroyed records of police communications from the night Colten Boushie died and conducted a parallel internal probe into the handling of the case without notifying the civilian watchdog, according to a report from the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission.
The CRCC expressed “disappointment and frustration” with the police decision to destroy recordings and transcripts of radio traffic between officers who responded to the fatal shooting of Mr. Boushie, a 22-year-old Cree man, in August, 2016.
The CRCC also said it has “serious concerns” that it wasn’t told about a separate, simultaneous RCMP internal investigation into the handling of the case.
The CRCC is an independent body that investigates public complaints against the RCMP. Mr. Boushie was shot to death when he and four companions entered the property of Saskatchewan farmer Gerald Stanley. Mr. Stanley was eventually found not guilty of second-degree murder in a case that stirred racial tensions and sparked protests.
A CRCC report to be released publicly Monday and obtained by The Globe and Mail says the RCMP racially discriminated against Mr. Boushie’s family when they were notified of his death. In the report, RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki agreed with and accepted that finding. The report did not find racial bias in other police actions.
The CRCC said the police investigation was generally professional and reasonable but it highlighted several serious shortcomings: from surrounding the victim’s family home with weapons drawn and searching it unlawfully, to failing to preserve forensic evidence, issuing press releases that inflamed public feeling and improperly handling witnesses.
When the CRCC requested records of police communications such as radio and telephone calls on the night Mr. Boushie died, the RCMP said the records had already been destroyed. They were deemed to have no evidentiary value to the criminal investigation, the RCMP said, and were disposed of in August, 2018, two years after the events in question, in keeping with records retention policy.
The CRCC investigation, however, was announced in March, 2018, less than two years after Mr. Boushie’s death. Mr. Boushie’s family also began a civil action against the RCMP before two years had elapsed. Recordings of police communications would have been relevant to both of those cases and should have been preserved, said counsel for Mr. Boushie’s mother, Debbie Baptiste.
“They knew there was a civil case. They knew there was an investigation by the CRCC. They knew the family was calling for an inquiry and yet they go and destroy the communications from that day,” said Eleanore Sunchild, Ms. Baptiste’s lawyer. “That is unacceptable.”
She told us he was a good boy
The mother of an Indigenous man shot and killed on a Saskatchewan farm says a watchdog’s review shows the injustice she faced when she was racially discriminated against by RCMP after her son’s death.
“Our family was never going to give up. We were not going to be swept away and treated such as less than human beings,” Debbie Baptiste told a news conference Monday.
Her son, Colten Boushie, died in August 2016 when the SUV he was riding in went onto farmer Gerald Stanley’s property near Biggar, Sask.
A jury acquitted Stanley of second-degree murder, as he testified that he had fired warning shots and the gun “just went off.”
Concerns were raised about how police handled the 22-year-old’s death and the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission studied the RCMP investigation.
The commission outlined several missteps by police, saying that officers treated Boushie’s mother so insensitively when they notified her of his death that it amounted to discrimination.
Baptiste said the report gives the family a small sense of justice after years of fighting for answers.
“If Colten could hear me now, he’d be proud that we continued fighting and never gave up,” Baptiste said.
“He was not a criminal. He was a human being.”
The commission’s report says officers told Baptiste to “get it together,” questioned whether she had been drinking, smelled her breath and searched her home without permission.
“After spending the evening fearing that something had happened to her son and just seeing her worst fears realized, Ms. Baptiste saw her home encircled by a large number of armed police officers and had to endure this treatment from the RCMP members who remained in her home for about 20 minutes,” the commission wrote.
It also found two officers inappropriately showed up to Boushie’s wake to update the mother on the criminal case.
Baptiste held back tears as she said she did not deserve that kind of treatment after her son’s death. She said she was further distressed when the RCMP originally cleared themselves of wrongdoing in the way officers responded.
“It did so much hurt to our family and the community.”
The commission found the way police notified the public about the shooting caused suffering to the young man’s family, because it allowed people to form an inaccurate picture of what happened,
It says an initial press release by RCMP focused mostly on alleged property crimes and failed to mention someone had been arrested for murder in Boushie’s death.
The commission says Boushie didn’t leave the vehicle or touch any of the belongings on Stanley’s farm.
Despite issuing other releases updating the public about the progress of the investigation, the watchdog concluded RCMP communications gave the public piecemeal information, fuelling racial tensions online and in the community.
At one point, former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall called for calm after a deluge of racist and hate-filled messages were posted online about Boushie’s death.
The commission also found RCMP didn’t properly protect the SUV Boushie had been riding in, resulting in the loss of blood spatter and other evidence.
“It is not known, and will never be known, what difference this evidence, as well as any other evidence lost as a result of the failure to protect the vehicle, could have had on the outcome of the case,” the report reads.
The National Police Federation representing front-line officers took issue with the finding of discrimination, and said the review showed police generally carried out a professional investigation.
Now let's rewrite history
Colten Boushie's mother says RCMP watchdog report shows injustice
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Stephanie Taylor
Publishing date:Mar 22, 2021 • 1 minute ago • 3 minute read • comment bubbleJoin the conversation
Colten Boushie is shown in an undated handout photo.
Colten Boushie is shown in an undated handout photo. PHOTO BY HANDOUT /THE CANADIAN PRESS
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SASKATOON — Before she even opened her mouth, Debbie Baptiste had already sent her message.
Wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with “Justice for Indigenous,” the mother of Colten Boushie stood before microphones Monday to address discrimination that a complaints commission confirmed she faced when RCMP officers told her of his death.
“I did not deserve to be treated the way I was treated,” she said as she held back tears at a news conference on the Whitecap Dakota First Nation’s reserve, just outside of Saskatoon.
“We’ve been waiting for this justice for a long time. It did so much hurt to our family and our community … we fought for this justice and we continue fighting.”
Boushie, 22, was shot and killed when an SUV he was riding in went onto farmer Gerald Stanley’s property near Biggar, Sask., on Aug. 9, 2016. Stanley was charged with second-degree murder and acquitted by a jury in 2018 after he testified he fired warning shots and that his gun “just went off.”
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The Civilian and Review Complaints Commission for the RCMP investigated how officers in Saskatchewan handled Boushie’s death.
While finding that, generally, RCMP did a professional investigation, the independent agency made 17 recommendations to address missteps, including those made with the family.
“Our family was never going to give up,” said Baptiste. “We were not going to be swept away and treated such as less than human beings.”
The commission detailed how, after the shooting, officers took a tactical approach as they went to Baptiste’s trailer to inform her of her son’s death.
Police told Baptiste, who had broken into tears, to “get it together,” the commission wrote. It said officers questioned whether she had been drinking, smelled her breath and searched her home.
The watchdog noted it was “hurtful” when police checked the microwave to see if Baptiste was telling them the truth about placing her son’s meal there when he didn’t return for dinner.
“If that doesn’t speak of discrimination and racism, I don’t know what does,” Eleanore Sunchild, a lawyer for Baptiste, told the news conference.
The commission also identified that officers inappropriately visited Boushie’s wake to update his mother on the case.
In reviewing a second complaint filed by the family, it found an initial RCMP media release about the death mostly focused on alleged property crimes instead of a homicide investigation.
“That set the entire tone for the country to spit hatred at Debbie and her family,” Sunchild said.
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The commission said Boushie didn’t appear to have left the vehicle or touched any of Stanley’s property. His family added he had no criminal record.
Other deficiencies the commission found included RCMP not properly protecting the SUV Boushie was shot in, which resulted in blood spatter evidence being lost.
Sunchild said that since the commission’s findings became public on the weekend, there’s been a repeat of hateful and racist comments posted online.
She urged Saskatchewan justice officials to take action. Justice Minister Gordon Wyant said in a statement anyone who believes a hate crime has taken place should contact police.
Federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair added that the RCMP has implemented 16 of 17 recommendations stemming from one of the reviews, and that all Saskatchewan Mounties are to complete mandatory cultural awareness training by April 1.
“We need to look at these incidents while accounting for the scars and ongoing impacts of systemic racism within our communities,” Blair said in a statement. “We are committed to doing everything in our power to never let this happen again.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news conference that the way the Boushie family was treated was unacceptable.
“We have seen unfortunately examples of systemic racism within the RCMP, within many other institutions, and we need to do better.”
Chief Perry Bellegarde with the Assembly of First Nations said the RCMP needs to make changes, including in oversight and in member recruitment.
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Chris Murphy, another lawyer representing Baptiste, said having officers watch a video isn’t enough to deal with the kind of discrimination faced by his client.
He pointed to comments circulated by the National Police Federation, a union for front-line RCMP officers, that questioned the commission’s finding of discrimination.
“There has to be some sort of fundamental change in the RCMP, from the top up or the bottom up,” said Murphy.
Although the commission found the RCMP’s next-of-kin notification to be the only time discrimination happened, Sunchild said the family believes there were other instances and that what happened to them isn’t unique among Indigenous people.
“We’ll never know what was said between the members,” said Sunchild.
“Systematic racism underlines this entire case.”
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Stephanie Taylor
Publishing date:Mar 22, 2021 • 1 minute ago • 3 minute read • comment bubbleJoin the conversation
Colten Boushie is shown in an undated handout photo.
Colten Boushie is shown in an undated handout photo. PHOTO BY HANDOUT /THE CANADIAN PRESS
Article content
SASKATOON — Before she even opened her mouth, Debbie Baptiste had already sent her message.
Wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with “Justice for Indigenous,” the mother of Colten Boushie stood before microphones Monday to address discrimination that a complaints commission confirmed she faced when RCMP officers told her of his death.
“I did not deserve to be treated the way I was treated,” she said as she held back tears at a news conference on the Whitecap Dakota First Nation’s reserve, just outside of Saskatoon.
“We’ve been waiting for this justice for a long time. It did so much hurt to our family and our community … we fought for this justice and we continue fighting.”
Boushie, 22, was shot and killed when an SUV he was riding in went onto farmer Gerald Stanley’s property near Biggar, Sask., on Aug. 9, 2016. Stanley was charged with second-degree murder and acquitted by a jury in 2018 after he testified he fired warning shots and that his gun “just went off.”
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The Civilian and Review Complaints Commission for the RCMP investigated how officers in Saskatchewan handled Boushie’s death.
While finding that, generally, RCMP did a professional investigation, the independent agency made 17 recommendations to address missteps, including those made with the family.
“Our family was never going to give up,” said Baptiste. “We were not going to be swept away and treated such as less than human beings.”
The commission detailed how, after the shooting, officers took a tactical approach as they went to Baptiste’s trailer to inform her of her son’s death.
Police told Baptiste, who had broken into tears, to “get it together,” the commission wrote. It said officers questioned whether she had been drinking, smelled her breath and searched her home.
The watchdog noted it was “hurtful” when police checked the microwave to see if Baptiste was telling them the truth about placing her son’s meal there when he didn’t return for dinner.
“If that doesn’t speak of discrimination and racism, I don’t know what does,” Eleanore Sunchild, a lawyer for Baptiste, told the news conference.
The commission also identified that officers inappropriately visited Boushie’s wake to update his mother on the case.
In reviewing a second complaint filed by the family, it found an initial RCMP media release about the death mostly focused on alleged property crimes instead of a homicide investigation.
“That set the entire tone for the country to spit hatred at Debbie and her family,” Sunchild said.
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The commission said Boushie didn’t appear to have left the vehicle or touched any of Stanley’s property. His family added he had no criminal record.
Other deficiencies the commission found included RCMP not properly protecting the SUV Boushie was shot in, which resulted in blood spatter evidence being lost.
Sunchild said that since the commission’s findings became public on the weekend, there’s been a repeat of hateful and racist comments posted online.
She urged Saskatchewan justice officials to take action. Justice Minister Gordon Wyant said in a statement anyone who believes a hate crime has taken place should contact police.
Federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair added that the RCMP has implemented 16 of 17 recommendations stemming from one of the reviews, and that all Saskatchewan Mounties are to complete mandatory cultural awareness training by April 1.
“We need to look at these incidents while accounting for the scars and ongoing impacts of systemic racism within our communities,” Blair said in a statement. “We are committed to doing everything in our power to never let this happen again.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news conference that the way the Boushie family was treated was unacceptable.
“We have seen unfortunately examples of systemic racism within the RCMP, within many other institutions, and we need to do better.”
Chief Perry Bellegarde with the Assembly of First Nations said the RCMP needs to make changes, including in oversight and in member recruitment.
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Chris Murphy, another lawyer representing Baptiste, said having officers watch a video isn’t enough to deal with the kind of discrimination faced by his client.
He pointed to comments circulated by the National Police Federation, a union for front-line RCMP officers, that questioned the commission’s finding of discrimination.
“There has to be some sort of fundamental change in the RCMP, from the top up or the bottom up,” said Murphy.
Although the commission found the RCMP’s next-of-kin notification to be the only time discrimination happened, Sunchild said the family believes there were other instances and that what happened to them isn’t unique among Indigenous people.
“We’ll never know what was said between the members,” said Sunchild.
“Systematic racism underlines this entire case.”
Colten Boushie's mother says RCMP watchdog report shows injustice
SASKATOON — Before she even opened her mouth, Debbie Baptiste had already sent her message.
Her son beat a woman with a firearm in hand and lost his life because of it. WTF is the problem?
I'm wondering if we don't have two separate cases here Pete! From what I can gather and I'm no expert, Colten (and his pals) were the author of his demise. Gerald Stanley didn't stir up the shit. Those guys were trespassing and acting like lunatics. I think there definitely was fault by the RCMP in the treatment of Colten's mother and they should have to answer for that, but that has nothing to do with Colten's guilt or innocence. J.M.H.O.
Much acclaimed...............by who? Had absolutely no interest in watching the movie and being subjected to yet another rehash of all the terrible things that the 'whites' have done without any reference to the long history of criminal elements on the reserve where Colten lived.
The MSM and Liberals highly recommended watching the true account of what happened not the narrative drummed up by the law enforcement, and legal system.
It is heart-breaking to have your child die long before their time. However it would behoove those responsible for raising Colten on a reserve rife with criminality to admit their own culpability. The mother can bemoan her treatment all she wants but the RCMP were right to question her about alcohol considering it was Colten's grandmother who allowed the kids to get drunk then go on a stealing spree.Colten Boushie's mother says RCMP watchdog report shows injustice
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Stephanie Taylor
Publishing date:Mar 22, 2021 • 1 minute ago • 3 minute read • comment bubbleJoin the conversation
Colten Boushie is shown in an undated handout photo.
Colten Boushie is shown in an undated handout photo. PHOTO BY HANDOUT /THE CANADIAN PRESS
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SASKATOON — Before she even opened her mouth, Debbie Baptiste had already sent her message.
Wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with “Justice for Indigenous,” the mother of Colten Boushie stood before microphones Monday to address discrimination that a complaints commission confirmed she faced when RCMP officers told her of his death.
“I did not deserve to be treated the way I was treated,” she said as she held back tears at a news conference on the Whitecap Dakota First Nation’s reserve, just outside of Saskatoon.
“We’ve been waiting for this justice for a long time. It did so much hurt to our family and our community … we fought for this justice and we continue fighting.”
Boushie, 22, was shot and killed when an SUV he was riding in went onto farmer Gerald Stanley’s property near Biggar, Sask., on Aug. 9, 2016. Stanley was charged with second-degree murder and acquitted by a jury in 2018 after he testified he fired warning shots and that his gun “just went off.”
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The Civilian and Review Complaints Commission for the RCMP investigated how officers in Saskatchewan handled Boushie’s death.
While finding that, generally, RCMP did a professional investigation, the independent agency made 17 recommendations to address missteps, including those made with the family.
“Our family was never going to give up,” said Baptiste. “We were not going to be swept away and treated such as less than human beings.”
The commission detailed how, after the shooting, officers took a tactical approach as they went to Baptiste’s trailer to inform her of her son’s death.
Police told Baptiste, who had broken into tears, to “get it together,” the commission wrote. It said officers questioned whether she had been drinking, smelled her breath and searched her home.
The watchdog noted it was “hurtful” when police checked the microwave to see if Baptiste was telling them the truth about placing her son’s meal there when he didn’t return for dinner.
“If that doesn’t speak of discrimination and racism, I don’t know what does,” Eleanore Sunchild, a lawyer for Baptiste, told the news conference.
The commission also identified that officers inappropriately visited Boushie’s wake to update his mother on the case.
In reviewing a second complaint filed by the family, it found an initial RCMP media release about the death mostly focused on alleged property crimes instead of a homicide investigation.
“That set the entire tone for the country to spit hatred at Debbie and her family,” Sunchild said.
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The commission said Boushie didn’t appear to have left the vehicle or touched any of Stanley’s property. His family added he had no criminal record.
Other deficiencies the commission found included RCMP not properly protecting the SUV Boushie was shot in, which resulted in blood spatter evidence being lost.
Sunchild said that since the commission’s findings became public on the weekend, there’s been a repeat of hateful and racist comments posted online.
She urged Saskatchewan justice officials to take action. Justice Minister Gordon Wyant said in a statement anyone who believes a hate crime has taken place should contact police.
Federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair added that the RCMP has implemented 16 of 17 recommendations stemming from one of the reviews, and that all Saskatchewan Mounties are to complete mandatory cultural awareness training by April 1.
“We need to look at these incidents while accounting for the scars and ongoing impacts of systemic racism within our communities,” Blair said in a statement. “We are committed to doing everything in our power to never let this happen again.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news conference that the way the Boushie family was treated was unacceptable.
“We have seen unfortunately examples of systemic racism within the RCMP, within many other institutions, and we need to do better.”
Chief Perry Bellegarde with the Assembly of First Nations said the RCMP needs to make changes, including in oversight and in member recruitment.
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Chris Murphy, another lawyer representing Baptiste, said having officers watch a video isn’t enough to deal with the kind of discrimination faced by his client.
He pointed to comments circulated by the National Police Federation, a union for front-line RCMP officers, that questioned the commission’s finding of discrimination.
“There has to be some sort of fundamental change in the RCMP, from the top up or the bottom up,” said Murphy.
Although the commission found the RCMP’s next-of-kin notification to be the only time discrimination happened, Sunchild said the family believes there were other instances and that what happened to them isn’t unique among Indigenous people.
“We’ll never know what was said between the members,” said Sunchild.
“Systematic racism underlines this entire case.”
Colten Boushie's mother says RCMP watchdog report shows injustice
SASKATOON — Before she even opened her mouth, Debbie Baptiste had already sent her message.
Always glad to see your wise and well thought out posts, Mowich. In trying to be politically correct in some cases we've bent too far the other way. I do think the cops acted unprofessionally in the treatment of Colten's mother and like I said earlier we have two separate cases here. The injustice toward the mother doesn't in any way detract from the mischief he and he pals were engaged in. I've heard it said that it was his pals who committed the criminal acts. I've also heard it said that when you are in the company of someone committing a crime, you are just as guilty as the perpetrator. There's difference in NOT committing a crime and not putting yourself in the position that's possible of ending badly. (My rant for the day)
Where was she when her son was growing into a criminal?
....& 5yrs later, there are calls to drag this up again. If Gerald Stanley or his family are going to get dragged into this mess again for defending themselves against armed bandits & it goes anywhere past noise from the family of the drunken armed entitled fools from that day, or a politician (not mentioning Sparkle-Socks by name) casts shade on the Stanley family to make woke brownie points via slander.....Gerald Stanley should sue....BIG....right from the family's of the criminals that provided the booze to these idiots that day to the registered owner of the car they where provided for their crime spree to the Gov't of Canada & the Liberal Party & both Justin Trudeau & Jody Wilson Raybould and any other public figure that could have potentially impaired the impartiality of the initial Jury Trial.
Call renewed for public inquiry on 5th anniversary of Colten Boushie’s death | Globalnews.ca
Colten Boushie’s family renewed their call for a public inquiry into the 22-year-old Indigenous man’s death near Biggar, Sask., on Aug. 9, 2016.
globalnews.ca
On 5th anniversary of his death, Colten Boushie's family renews call for inquiry
Five years after her son’s killing, Debbie Baptiste spoke to reporters with tears glazing her eyes, pausing and taking a big breath before encouraging parents to savour every moment with their children.
On fifth anniversary of his death, Colten Boushie's family renews call for public inquiry
Monday was the 5th anniversary of Colten Boushie's death. His family is renewing their calls for a public inquiry and an apology from RCMP.
'He deserved a life:' Colten Boushie's mother demands change in justice system
WHITECAP, Sask. — The mother of a young Indigenous man shot and killed five years ago in Saskatchewan is continuing to fight for change in the justice system. Colten Boushie of the Red Pheasant First Nation died Aug. 9, 2016, after a vehicle the 22-year-old was riding in went onto a farm near...
Sorry folks, but this one just rubs me the wrong way. It's the 5yr anniversary of this shit-show & I keep hearing on the radio, "My Colton was the Victim & NOT a criminal" & this has been whitewashed so heavily that its sickening. It's like how the Lethbridge Police tried to whitewash the goat-rodeo where they roughed up the kid in the Storm Trooper suit dancing to StarWars music in front of the CoCo Vanilla Galactic Cantina where once the report comes out it resembles nothing off the reality of the situation.
Five people drunk off their arse's who'd been boozing hard, armed with a firearm that they'd been firing from the moving vehicle at whatever (signs & ducks, etc...that they'd eventually admitted to) and had been on neighbouring properties to rob stuff & break into vehicles before making it to the Stanley Farm where they'd already been in & out of the Gold Ford Pick-Up (see in background in the posts above this one) & fired up a Quad that they couldn't move (only gear on the Quad was reverse) before anyone from the Farm even got near them....These where not Girl-Guides out selling cookies.
-Colton Bushie had a Blood Alcohol level of 0.3 & was behind the wheel of the vehicle when this went down.
-Eric Meechance had previous Firearms offenses & a Gun Ban & he was the one firing up the ATV on the Stanley Farm. I think he eventually said he had about 30 shots of Crown Royal through the day before ending up on the Stanley Farm...
-Belinda Jackson assaulted Gerald Stanleys wife, lied to the police, & in court, & was caught lying in court.
-Kiora Wuttunee didn't even bother to go to court, but owned the car they used all day...
-Cassidy Cross-Whitstone had no licence & drove much of that day drunk, lied to police about the loaded gun & trying to B&E a truck at a neighbouring farm before arriving at the Stanley Farm, etc...& lied to the police & in court. Oh yeah, it was his loaded gun than fell out of the vehicle with the body of Colton Bushie.
None of these above where charged due to a plea deal in exchange for testimony against their victims who where defending themselves. This is just such a mess & it's unfortunate that someone died, but if it had actually been one of the real victims that died that day nobody would remember their name 5yrs later....& both Trudeau & Wilson-Rayboult wouldn't have publicly undermined the findings of a lawfully delivered verdict of a Jury Trial in the spirit of 'Wokeness' & soundbites.
Five people drunk off their arse's who'd been boozing hard, armed with a firearm that they'd been firing from the moving vehicle at whatever (signs & ducks, etc...that they'd eventually admitted to) and had been on neighbouring properties to rob stuff & break into vehicles before making it to the Stanley Farm where they'd already been in & out of the Gold Ford Pick-Up (see in background in the posts above this one) & fired up a Quad that they couldn't move (only gear on the Quad was reverse) before anyone from the Farm even got near them....These where not Girl-Guides out selling cookies.
-Colton Bushie had a Blood Alcohol level of 0.3 & was behind the wheel of the vehicle when this went down.
-Eric Meechance had previous Firearms offenses & a Gun Ban & he was the one firing up the ATV on the Stanley Farm. I think he eventually said he had about 30 shots of Crown Royal through the day before ending up on the Stanley Farm...
-Belinda Jackson assaulted Gerald Stanleys wife, lied to the police, & in court, & was caught lying in court.
-Kiora Wuttunee didn't even bother to go to court, but owned the car they used all day...
-Cassidy Cross-Whitstone had no licence & drove much of that day drunk, lied to police about the loaded gun & trying to B&E a truck at a neighbouring farm before arriving at the Stanley Farm, etc...& lied to the police & in court. Oh yeah, it was his loaded gun than fell out of the vehicle with the body of Colton Bushie.
None of these above where charged due to a plea deal in exchange for testimony against their victims who where defending themselves. This is just such a mess & it's unfortunate that someone died, but if it had actually been one of the real victims that died that day nobody would remember their name 5yrs later....& both Trudeau & Wilson-Rayboult wouldn't have publicly undermined the findings of a lawfully delivered verdict of a Jury Trial in the spirit of 'Wokeness' & soundbites.