By Canadian Press

Alberta property owner who shot, wounded suspected thief facing lawsuit

Sep 26, 2019 | 12:28 PM

CALGARY — A southern Alberta man who shot at suspected thieves on his rural property is being sued by one of the people.

A statement of claim says Ryan Watson entered Edouard Maurice’s property near Okotoks, south of Calgary, on Feb. 25, 2018.

It says that when he and an accomplice were discovered, Maurice fired a warning shot that struck Watson’s arm.

“Without warning, the defendant attempted to scare the said plaintiff by shooting a .22 calibre rifle in his direction, but negligently hit the plaintiff in the right forearm, causing severe damages and disability,” reads the statement.

It says Watson required surgery, which included putting a metal plate in his arm, and that he has pain and discomfort in his shoulders, head, neck and back. He also suffers from severe fatigue, insomnia, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, the document says.

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The suit alleges Maurice was negligent for firing a gun without consideration for others in the area and for failing to exhaust reasonable and less violent options, including calling police or shouting a warning.

Watson is seeking damages for pain and suffering and for loss of income.

Maurice and Watson’s lawyer did not return requests seeking comment.

The lawsuit has not been proven in court and no statement of defence has been filed.

RCMP charged Maurice with aggravated assault and weapons offences after the shooting, prompting hundreds of supporters to protest outside court. The Crown stayed the charges against him a few months later, citing a low probability of getting a conviction.

Watson was also charged in the case and pleaded guilty in February to mischief and breaching probation. He was sentenced to 45 days jail but was released due to time he had spent in custody before trial.

Rural crime on the Prairies has been in the spotlight since Saskatchewan farmer Gerald Stanley shot and killed Colten Boushie, a 22-year-old Indigenous man, in 2016. A jury acquitted Stanley of second-degree murder after he testified his gun went off accidentally when he was trying to scare off some young people who drove onto his property.

Alberta’s Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer is in the middle of a tour of the province talking to Albertans about rural crime.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2019.

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press