Montreal, Quebec (CBC) Three men awarded compensation for a 2001 shooting spree by an ex-RCMP officer will have to wait to receive $1.5 million from the City of Laval.
Under an agreement that was announced on Monday, Pierre Mainville is set to receive $850,000 from Laval, while David Savard and Hugues Ducharme are in line for a combined $550,000. But the trio have to wait for the Quebec Court of Appeal to rule on Laval’s challenge of a lower court decision.
Jocelyn Hotte is serving a life sentence for murdering his ex-girlfriend, Lucie Gélinas, and attempting to kill Mainville, Savard and Ducharme.
The four friends were driving down a highway on St. Jean Baptiste Day with Hotte in pursuit firing at them with a handgun.
Hotte, an RCMP marksman who provided security for former prime minister Jean Chrétien and Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe, was despondent over the end of his relationship with Gélinas.
Lawyers for the three men successfully argued that Laval police ignored repeated complaints from Gélinas that Hotte was harassing and threatening her.
Mainville, who was shot six times, including once in the jaw, told CBC News that everyone in the car paid a heavy price.
“It’s not only me, my cousin has received a bullet in his mouth, you know, all the teeth exploded. My friend received a bullet in his arm. And the biggest loser in that is Lucie Gélinas, in that she died that day,” said Mainville.
All received severe psychological and physical wounds, and Mainville is now paraplegic.
Mainville said along with compensation, he would like to see Laval police admit they made a mistake.
Hotte, 53, is eligible for parole in 2027.
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