RCMP Staff Sergeant Rob Embree. Photo by Manfred Joehnck.
An internal investigation has cleared the RCMP of wrongdoing in the way it handled notifying Colten Boushie’s family that the young man had been shot to death on a farm near Biggar in August of 2016.
The family maintains police were rude and treated the family like suspects during the very sensitive time.
RCMP had little to say about the investigation, but did acknowledge an apology was issued and some procedure has been changed. Staff Sgt. Rob Embree met with reporters at RCMP headquarters to release what information he could.
“What I am prepared to say in this situation, when we talk about an apology or operational guidance to the members and also looking and reviewing the policies that are in place, all three were looked at and actions were taken but we are not going to get into the particulars of that.” He said.
The family has already indicated it plans to appeal the ruling to the public complaints commission for the RCMP. The farmer accused in the shooting of 22-year-old Colten Boushie is scheduled to go on trial for second-degree murder January 29 in Battleford. The trial is scheduled to last two weeks.
Gerald Stanley is currently out on bail.