Jury deliberates as Boushie supporters continue to call for justice
- Nickita Longman | February 09, 2018
Monday, February 5th marked one week since the jury was selected to determine second-degree murder charge against Gerald Stanley for the murder of Colten Boushie. Although the trial was expected to run at least 3 weeks, the final witness to the stand, Stanley himself, was the last portion of evidence to be submitted to the court.
As the first week of the trial came to a close, the judge predicted a shorter-than-usual court hearing. This was followed by a strong call for support at the Battleford courthouse from the Boushie and Baptiste family.
In a Facebook post by Boushie’s cousin Jade Tootoosis, she wrote that “It is difficult to differentiate between our non-Indigenous allies from the ‘Farmers with firearms’/Stanley supporters.” This message was heard loud and clear by Indigenous and non-Indigenous allies alike as supporters lined the path of the courtroom Monday afternoon and into the evening.
The morning’s court proceedings called three witnesses to the stand by the defense, including a resident of a nearby farm, a bible camp coordinator, and a gun user who spoke to the experience of a ‘hang fire’ from a gun he used decades prior to the case.
The afternoon’s proceedings called Stanley to the witness stand for over two hours of testimony. Stanley’s defense examination revealed that he feared for his wife’s safety, and in turn, approached the vehicle Colten Boushie was in. After firing two ‘warning shots’ in the air, Stanley testified that the third shot was an accident (or in firearms terms, a ‘hang fire’), that took place while he attempted to reach into the vehicle and pull the keys from the ignition.
The Crown cross-examined Stanley after a short break. It was during this cross examination that the jury heard about Stanley’s 20+ years of firearm experience, including safety courses. The Crown challenged Stanley about why he continued to hold the gun in his hand while approaching the vehicle while knowing people were in it. Stanley was also challenged about the way he loaded his gun after claiming he was aware of only loading two bullets instead of three.
Perhaps the most unsettling element to Stanley’s testimony was the re-enactment the Crown called him to do with the exact firearm that was used to end Boushie’s life.
As Jade Tootoosis made her way out of the courtroom, she told media that witnessing the man who killed Colten Boushie testify while holding the gun was one of the hardest things she’s ever done.
After the court was let out at 5:30 that evening, both Boushie supporters and the family left the courthouse chanting “Justice for Colten” while displaying signs with similar wording, as well as “Indigenous Lives Matter”.
The jury was dismissed until Thursday morning, and are currently in deliberation. Vigils and events of support have been held in Regina, Lethbridge, Edmonton, Saskatoon and the Battlefords since the case began. It is unknown when the verdict will be released.