The family of a man who was fatally shot by police in Bathurst, N.B. nearly five years ago is offering a $10,000 reward for information surrounding his death.
Michel Vienneau was shot in his vehicle outside the Bathurst train station on Jan. 12, 2015.
Police were acting on a tip the 51-year-old businessman and his common-law partner Annick Basque were in possession of illegal drugs after returning from a trip to Montreal.
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In their effort to confront the couple, a police officer was pinned between a car and a snowbank, and Vienneau was shot.
An investigation by the RCMP revealed that Vienneau was not involved in criminal activity.
In a Facebook post on Thursday by Nicolas Vienneau, Michel’s brother, the family says the police were acting on “bogus” Crime Stoppers tips.
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It says the reward is for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of suspects surrounding Vienneau’s death.
Constables Patrick Bulger and Mathieu Boudreau were charged with manslaughter with a weapon, assault with a weapon and unlawfully pointing a firearm, but Judge Anne Dugas-Horsman ruled in February 2017 after a preliminary hearing that the prosecution failed to produce enough evidence to warrant a trial.
However, both officers are facing a hearing for alleged code of conduct breaches. Final arguments in that hearing are scheduled for Dec. 9 in Fredericton.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2019.
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