BATHURST, N.B. -- 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.
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.
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
