Protesters demand justice for teen shot at Maniwaki courthouse

A few dozen people rallied outside the Maniwaki, Que., courthouse Saturday afternoon, demanding justice for the 18-year-old man who was shot in the head last week by a special constable.

The group gathered in front of the courthouse where the teen was shot on Jan. 31, 2018, shortly after being sentenced in Quebec's youth court system for a matter predating his 18th birthday.

They then marched through the streets of Maniwaki, carrying signs emblazoned with the teen's name and slogans demanding justice.

"He could have killed him. It's a miracle that he's still alive," said a friend of the teen who attended Saturday's rally in a French-language interview with Radio-Canada.

The teen cannot be identified because of protections afforded him by the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Recovering from coma

The Jan. 31 shooting happened shortly after the teen asked to step outside the courthouse for a cigarette before being taken to jail.

The request was denied. For reasons that remain unclear, a scuffle broke out at around 1 p.m. ET between the teen and the courthouse's lone special constable.

Quebec's police watchdog, the Bureau des Enquêtes Indépendantes (BEI), has said the 18-year-old took a baton off the special constable during the altercation and began hitting him with it. 

The special constable then fired his gun, shooting the teen in the head, according to a BEI news release. 

His mother told CBC News after the shooting that the bullet entered his skull near his nose and ended up lodged in the side of his neck.

The teen was in a coma and is now recovering, his mother said Saturday. He suffered a severe concussion, she said, and will likely remain in hospital for a few more weeks.

She also said she would be taking legal action against the constable involved in the shooting.

Saturday's protesters also called for more security at the Maniwaki courthouse as well as better training of security personnel.

Protester Fernand Gagnon told Radio-Canada that the shooting is a sign there either isn't enough security at the courthouse, or that those who work there aren't properly trained.

"When it turns out that a young man armed with a lighter and a pack of cigarettes is shot because he wants to go smoking ... I don't know what is missing, but it is not normal that we come to [this]," Gagnon said in French.

'Too much violence'

Special constables are peace officers, and they have the authority to use force while making arrests. In Quebec they're equipped with handcuffs, a retractable baton, pepper spray and a handgun.

Saturday's protest also included family members of Brandon Maurice, a 17-year-old who was shot to death following a pursuit involving a Sûreté du Québec officer in nearby Messines, Que.

"Violence like that, we want [it to end], said Lise Maurice, the dead teen's grandmother.

"There is too much violence on the part of the police. It's not fair."

A coroner's inquest into Maurice's death is expected to take place from April 9-13 at the Gatineau, Que., courthouse.