Three men who were shot by a jealous RCMP officer bent on killing his ex-girlfriend have agreed to accept damages of $1.5-million after winning a civil suit against local police.
The men, all in their 30s, successfully sued the city of Laval, Que., after it was revealed police brushed off complaints by Lucie Gélinas that her former boyfriend and then-Mountie, Jocelyn Hotte, had been stalking and threatening her.
The city and plaintiffs reached the financial settlement Monday, several months after Mr. Justice Steve Reimnitz of Quebec Superior Court found police at fault for failing to investigate Ms. Gélinas's case.
Ms. Gélinas died and Pierre Mainville, Hugues Ducharme and David Savard were wounded while out celebrating Quebec's St. Jean Baptiste holiday in June, 2001. Mr. Hotte, a trained marksman and onetime bodyguard of prime minister Jean Chrétien, chased them over 13 kilometres of Montreal freeway, firing all the way with his RCMP pistol.
Mr. Mainville, who was left paraplegic and was the most seriously wounded of the men, settled for $850,000. Mr. Ducharme, who was shot six times, including once in the jaw, was awarded $494,000. Mr. Savard and Mr. Mainville's parents are set to receive smaller amounts.
A wheelchair athlete who competed for Canada in fencing at the Beijing Paralympics, Mr. Mainville said the money will pay for home maintenance and his future care. The money may also offer some security for his family, including a two-year-old daughter and his wife, who is pregnant.
"But we did it more for justice than money. We wanted it to be recognized that the police made a tremendous error," Mr. Mainville said. "There's no winner here, and the biggest loser here is Lucie. For Lucie, there will never be justice."
Ms. Gélinas, 37, had called 911 twice in the days before her death, complaining that Mr. Hotte had suggested she could end up getting shot. When Laval police constables Nathalie Rufer and Joël Sirois met with her, they dismissed the threat. They also said Ms. Gélinas was reluctant to file a formal complaint, saying it would cause trouble for Mr. Hotte.
They closed the case, marking her complaint "unfounded." The judge found even a cursory investigation would have uncovered the depth of Ms. Gélinas's fear and a history of bad conduct by Mr. Hotte. He was once suspended for stalking a co-worker.
"The label was inappropriate. It seems perfectly believable that Ms. Gélinas was simply afraid of Mr. Hotte," Judgce Reimnitz said. "The court believes the officers were simply looking for a way out."
While Laval officials agreed to financial terms, the city is appealing the verdict. Mr. Mainville and the other plaintiffs will have to win the appeal before they are paid.
Mr. Hotte, 51, was convicted of first-degree murder, received a life sentence and will be eligible for parole in 2027.