The family of Colten Boushie made an emotional plea on Monday for a public inquiry to answer lingering questions around the fatal shooting of the 22-year-old five years ago. Boushie was with some of his friends when he was shot by Gerald Stanley in a farm near Biggar, Sask., on Aug. 9, 2016. Stanley was charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter but was acquitted in February of 2018.
Debbie Baptiste, Boushie’s mother, recalled during Monday’s press conference the events prior to his son’s fatal shooting.
“He went swimming with his friends. I didn’t want him to go. Maybe mother’s instincts, I felt something. And the worst nightmare happened, my son got murdered. Killed. But today I want to talk about we don’t want to promote hate. We want people to love one another, respect one another.
“He was a kind-hearted boy. He deserved a life. He had dreams and they were cut short. So, today I want everybody to remember Colten. He was a victim and not a criminal. Coming here with a heavy heart, today I hope and pray for change within the justice system. Racism should not be in the justice system. Discrimination does not belong there. I miss my son so much.”
Baptiste, trying to hold back the tears, advised all parents to love their kids.
“Hold on to them as tight as you can. No matter how they make you mad sometimes because they don’t listen. Spend your precious time with them.”
Eleanore Sunchild, one of the lawyers of the family, said it had been a hard five years for Baptiste as she had to grieve publicly.
“She hasn’t really seen justice yet. The family does not accept the innocence of Gerald Stanley, even though a jury of his peers acquitted him of second-degree murder. The family will always continue to seek justice for Colten.”
“Debbie and her family continue to grieve. It is just as hard today as it was five years ago. The [Civilian Review and Complaints Commission] made a finding that the [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] discriminated against Debbie Baptiste the night her son was killed. And that’s a welcome finding, but it should be the first of many findings in this case.”
“We still push for a full public inquiry into what happened after the killing of Colten Boushie, not just including how the RCMP handled the case. But, as time goes on, more are revealed, for example the CRCC found that the communications between the officers the day Colten was killed had been erased. What else is there that to be uncovered? What else is there that people should know?”
Sunchild also denounced the hateful messages received and targeted the family on social media. “A lot of hatred [was] directed to this family, directed at Colten. To set the record straight, and I will say it again, Colten was not a criminal. He has no criminal records, and he was not in a gang. He was sleeping in the back of the vehicle. When he woke up, he jumped in the front, and moments later he was shot.”
“These are the facts and people need to be reminded that that’s what happened. So, we will continue to fight for justice. We will continue to speak out and advocate for justice. To speak out against systemic racism in the Canadian justice system, so this does not happen to any other families or any other Indigenous Peoples. We need to walk freely on our treaty lands. We need to walk freely on Treaty 6 and that’s what he represents. So, we won’t stop, and we will keep advocating on what Colten deserves.”
Indigenous groups reactions
The Federation of Indigenous Nations and the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples released separate statements renewing their respective support to Boushie’s family and renewed their call for a full public inquiry on his death and Stanley’s acquittal.
The FSIN statement said Boushie’s family had continued to seek justice and but the system had denied them of having closure on his death.
“The shooting death of Colten Boushie and the subsequent acquittal of Gerald Stanley serves as an example of systemic discrimination in the Canadian Criminal Justice System; from the flawed investigation and jury selection process to the Crown’s extraordinary decision not to appeal the verdict.”
“It also highlights the Criminal Justice System’s continuing failure to treat First Nations victims and their families with fairness, respect, and dignity. The RCMP racially discriminated against Colten Boushie’s family and still refuses to apologize for their damaging conduct. The shooting death of Colten Boushie also revealed the extent which racism and stereotypes encourage and justify hatred of First Nations people on social media and within the Canadian conscious as we watched Colten Boushie and his family be unfairly degraded and dehumanized, which was emphasized after the acquittal of Gerald Stanley.”
FSIN Vice Chief David Pratt added that Boushie should always be remembered every day as they also offer their condolences and prayers to the family.
“We also honour his mother, Debbie Baptiste, who has shown immense courage and inspired many to stand up against injustice. We must keep working toward equal justice for First Nations people and continue fighting to overcome the many issues that our people face in the justice system every day.”
“The legacy of Colten Boushie and his family’s long fight for fairness, respect and dignity for all First Nations people highlights the courage, strength, and resilience of our people in the face of racism, tragedy, and injustice.”
The CAP, in a separate message, accused the Saskatchewan provincial government of continuously failing the Indigenous Peoples for not holding a public inquiry and having no one to be held accountable in the death of the Red Pheasant First Nation member.
“The Colten Boushie case was plagued by a biased investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death, and mishandled evidence. In March of this year, the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) found that the RCMP racially discriminated against Boushie’s mother during the investigation.”
CAP National Vice Chief Kim Beaudin added that the provincial government should have taken a leading role in the case and in the subsequent appeal.
“It’s clear this case was not handled professionally by the RCMP, and Colten’s family deserves to be treated equitably by Canada’s justice system. Contrary to what RCMP leadership might believe, systemic racism is alive and well in the organization across Canada.”
The CAP also challenged the RCMP to help provide closure for Bouche’s family by apologizing for racial discrimination and sent their condolences to the bereaved family.
