8.55°C Vancouver

Mar 22, 2021 7:37 PM -

Boushie's mother says RCMP watchdog report shows injustice in response to son's death

Share On

Debbie Baptiste says she was never going to let the RCMP's response to the 2016 shooting death of her son be swept under the rug.

A police watchdog's report into the death of the 22 year old Indigenous man on a Saskatchewan farm determined officers treated Baptiste so insensitively when they notified her of his death that it amounted to discrimination.

Colten Boushie died in August of 2016 when the SUV he was riding in went onto farmer Gerald Stanley's property near Biggar, Saskatchewan.

A review of the RCMP response by the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission found officers discriminated against Boushie's mother, Debbie Baptiste, when they notified her of her son's death, and when they inappropriately showed up to his wake to provide an update on the case.

Officers told Baptiste to, "get it together," questioned whether she had been drinking, smelled her breath and searched her home without permission.

Baptiste says her family has and will continue fighting for justice for her son and other Indigenous people.

Latest news

surrey-man-charged-after-newton-area-shooting
CanadaJan 30, 2026

Surrey Man Charged After Newton-Area Shooting

Police have laid multiple criminal charges following a shooting at a Surrey home on New Year’s Day. Officers from the Surrey Police Service (SPS) responded around 11:45 p.m. on January 1, 2026, to reports of gunfire in the area of 140B Street and 59 Avenue in Newton. At the scene, they found an injured man who was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound. Officials said his condition was stable. A second man was arrested at the location. The SPS Serious Crime Unit took over the investigation. On January 28, the BC Prosecution Service approved charges against 49-year-old Chanchal Badwal. He fac
b-c-based-jim-pattison-developments-cancels-virginia-warehouse-sale-to-ice
BCJan 30, 2026

B.C.-based Jim Pattison Developments cancels Virginia warehouse sale to ICE

Vancouver-based Jim Pattison Developments has announced it will not proceed with the sale of a Virginia warehouse property to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which had planned to use the site as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing facility. The 43.5-acre property in Hanover County, Virginia, faced public scrutiny after news emerged that it could be converted into a holding and processing centre amid a wider U.S. immigration crackdown. The company, owned by Canadian billionaire Jim Pattison, had previously stated it was unaware of the final purchaser or the intende
israel-to-reopen-gaza-egypt-border-crossing-after-nearly-two-years-of-closure
WorldJan 30, 2026

Israel to reopen Gaza–Egypt border crossing after nearly two years of closure

Israel says it will reopen Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Sunday, allowing limited movement of people in and out of the territory for the first time in nearly two years. The Israeli military agency COGAT, which oversees civilian coordination with Gaza, said the reopening will permit “limited movement of people only,” with both Israel and Egypt screening those seeking to cross. European Union border assistance personnel will supervise operations at the crossing, Gaza’s primary link to the outside world. The Rafah crossing has been largely closed since May 2024, following ren
federal-court-of-appeal-set-to-rule-on-ottawas-single-use-plastics-ban
CanadaJan 30, 2026

Federal Court of Appeal upholds Ottawa’s authority to maintain single-use plastic b

Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal has ruled that the federal government acted within its authority when it classified certain plastic products as toxic, clearing the way for Ottawa to maintain its ban on several single-use plastic items. In a unanimous decision released Friday, a three-judge panel overturned a 2023 lower court ruling that had found the federal government overreached by broadly labeling plastic manufactured items as toxic under environmental legislation. That earlier decision had cast uncertainty over the future of the single-use plastics ban. The appeal court concluded the go
cfia-says-threats-against-staff-escalated-during-b-c-ostrich-cull-forcing-family-relocation
BCJan 30, 2026

CFIA says threats against staff escalated during B.C. ostrich cull, forcing family relocation

A senior Canadian Food Inspection Agency official says agency employees faced escalating threats and harassment during preparations for the culling of hundreds of ostriches at a British Columbia farm, including incidents serious enough to force the relocation of a worker and their family. In an interview with The Canadian Press, the official said opposition to the cull intensified both online and in person, culminating in what they described as extreme cases of direct threats involving physical violence and sexual assault. One CFIA employee and their partner were relocated along with their chi

Related News