Michel Vienneau family, friends relieved name cleared

The family and friends of Michel Vienneau are expressing relief his reputation was cleared Thursday in the wake of manslaughter charges being laid against two members of the Bathurst Police Force.

Vienneau, 51, was gunned down by police in the parking lot of the Bathurst train station as he and his wife were returning from a trip to Montreal.

Court documents filed in a negligence lawsuit indicate police were acting on a Crime Stoppers tip that Vienneau would be returning from Montreal with illegal drugs.

• 2 Bathurst police charged in Michel Vienneau death
• Police acting on Crime Stoppers tip when Michel Vienneau killed

Nova Scotia RCMP investigated the shooting, which led to charges being laid against two officers on Thursday. After a news conference in Bathurst, Sgt. Alain LeBlanc told reporters in Bathurst their investigation found Vienneau was not involved in any criminal activity.

Vienneau's brother, Nicolas Vienneau, released a statement welcoming that news.

"My family is satisfied with the investigation of the Halifax RCMP, and that there are no charges against my brother," stated Vienneau in a French statement.

There could never have been criminal charges against Michel, and I always believed my brother had done nothing wrong.- Nicolas Vienneau, brother of Michel Vienneau

"There could never have been criminal charges against Michel, and I always believed my brother had done nothing wrong.

"The story will come out in civil court. But this tragic story will never give my family our brother Michel back."

The Vienneau family has launched a civil lawsuit against the city and police force, alleging negligence led to Vienneau's death.

In Tracadie, Vienneau's hometown, the results of the investigation were welcomed by his long-time friend, André Fournier. 

"Michel was a very good friend to me, and I'm feeling relieved," he said.

Vienneau hired Fournier to work at the electronics store he owned in Tracadie, Liaison Electronique, which is now being run by Vienneau's brother.

"Michel was a very good man," said Fournier. "He was very loyal to his friends and everybody that met him liked him. You couldn't do otherwise than to like him very much."

Court documents filed in connection with the negligence lawsuit indicate two police officers used their vehicle to intercept Vienneau's vehicle in the train station parking lot, and then got out of the police vehicle to approach Vienneau's vehicle. The documents indicate Vienneau then accelerated, pinning one of the officers against a snowbank. The police officers fired at the vehicle out of a safety concern and Vienneau was killed.

None of the allegations in the court documents has been proven in court.

Gilles Lemieux, a lawyer representing the Vienneau estate, said the Vienneaus were very disheartened to have allegations of criminal activity made about Vienneau.

"Their 51-year-old son, to their knowledge, has been an upstanding businessman and all of a sudden he's gunned down in a parking lot in Bathurst when he's returning from a hockey game," said Lemieux. "That was more than a mild shock.

The justice system has prevailed and their son's reputation has been vindicated.- Gilles Lemieux, lawyer representing Michel Vienneau estate

"They justice system has prevailed and their son's reputation has been vindicated."

On Thursday, Const. Patrick Bulger, 38, and Const. Mathieu Boudreau, 26, of the Bathurst Police Force were each charged with manslaughter, two counts of assault with a weapon, and two counts of unlawfully pointing a firearm.

The officers have been suspended with pay, and Bathurst's police chief has filed a conduct complaint against the officers with the New Brunswick Police Commission.

Bulger and Boudreau are to appear in provincial court in Bathurst on Jan. 4, 2016.