Officers testify that Breau pointed gun during Rexton protest

Two New Brunswick RCMP officers testified at the Rexton shale gas trial Friday that one of the men on trial pointed a gun at them during the protest last fall. 

Germain Junior Breau of Upper Rexton and Aaron Francis of Eskasoni, N.S., have already pleaded guilty to some charges, but are on trial for numerous others, including weapons and assault offences.

Cpl. Guy Lacroix was the first officer to take the stand.

Lacroix was in Rexton on the morning of Oct. 17, 2013 during a clash between police and protesters.

He testified that he saw both Breau, 21, and Francis, 20, handling a gun that morning, but said it was Breau who pointed the gun directly at him.

Lacroix testified that he watched Breau for a two hour period and said he "could have pulled the gun up, squeezed the trigger and I'd be dead."

'The barrel was pointed in my direction'

Cst. Serge Bilodeau, a member of the tactical team, also testified.

Bilodeau said that he saw Breau behind a mini-van, holding the gun, and added that at one point he saw the barrel of the gun pointed at him.

"It's as if I could see inside the barrel," he said. "The barrel was pointed in my direction."

Bilodeau described it as a rifle with a scope on it.

Officers had testified earlier in the week that their arrests were warranted and that they felt they were in danger, when the Molotov cocktails were thrown, and when the gun was present.

Breau is standing trial on 12 charges, including five counts of pointing a firearm at police, five counts of assaulting a police officer with a firearm, possession of a firearm for a dangerous purpose, and obstructing a police officer.

Francis is facing charges of intent to do bodily harm by causing an explosive device to explode, placing or throwing at or on a person an explosive substance, possession of explosives while prohibited to do so, committing an offence while having his face masked, and possession of a firearm for a dangerous purpose.

Both men have been in jail since their arrest after waiving their bail hearings.

The trial will resume on Tuesday, but just for one day. The rest will be held in mid-May.