Family of Portage teen sues RCMP after fatal shooting

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This article was published 01/04/2025 (212 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The family of a Grade 12 student fatally shot by RCMP in Portage la Prairie two years ago is suing two officers, saying their actions were “callous and showed a flagrant disregard” for the teenager’s safety — and his life.

Conor Rae, 18, was killed in the early morning hours of May 24, 2023, at an apartment he’d recently moved into on Hazel Bay. Police had been called about a domestic disturbance at the home. While en route, RCMP officers heard that the alleged female victim was secure in a neighbour’s home, the statement of claim says.

The claim says that when the officers encountered Rae in the vicinity of his apartment, they “dangerously and recklessly” escalated the encounter by deploying their Tasers. One probe struck Rae in his chest, it says.

The court papers say the officers escalated the situation further by entering Rae’s home, where they kicked and punched him, and again discharged their Tasers “with the intent to injure.”

“(Given) Conor’s young age and naivete with regard to police matters, with it being just past 1 a.m., and, with the violence he found being visited upon him, Conor would have been terrified,” the claim says.

One of the officers shot at Rae multiple times, striking him in the chest and thoracic region, it says.

The claim, which was filed Tuesday in Winnipeg, identifies Rae publicly for the first time. The two officers are not named. The Attorney General of Canada is also included as a defendant. It described Rae as a “vibrant” teenager, with a “slight but athletic” build, who never had any involvement with police prior to his death.

“Conor suffered a violent assault, electric shock, and then death by way of gunshot wound at the hands of persons who ought to have kept him reasonably safe,” it reads.

According to Free Press tracking, police officers in Manitoba have shot and killed 40 people over the last two decades, including 21 people since 2020. In many of the incidents, victims had been experiencing some form of mental health issue and/or drug-induced symptoms.

Winnipeg lawyer Jason Kendall, who is representing Rae’s family, told the Free Press Rae was experiencing an adverse reaction to marijuana the night he was killed and that the teen was a very naive user.

Last week, the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba announced that the officer who fatally shot Rae would not face criminal charges. The police watchdog’s report stated “the use of lethal force by the subject officer was authorized and justified by law.” The report noted both officers said Rae had a weapon, with one describing it as a piece of glass and the other as an ‘edged weapon’.

The decision was released 670 days after Rae’s death.

According to the statement of claim, Rae — who grew up in Portage la Prairie, but moved with his parents and two siblings to Coquitlam, B.C. in his teenage years — returned to Manitoba in early 2023 to earn some income to put towards post-secondary school, as well as to be near family and friends with whom he’d remained close. Rae had completed his high school credits a semester early and when he died, had been set to return to Coquitlam for his graduation in a matter of weeks.

The claim says Rae’s death was preventable and raises concerns about the officers’ training.

It brings forward claims of wrongful death and negligence, including that the officers failed to diffuse the situation with less force; failed to properly investigate the event that brought them into contact with Rae; used their Tasers in a way that was inconsistent with proper training; and failed to meet the standard of a reasonable police officer.

The allegations have not been proven in court.

Kendall said there are a lot of unanswered questions about the officers’ actions, including “why an 18-year-old, whose life was just getting started, died that night. (He) never had a problem with the law in his life. Never even dealt with a police officer.”

The lawyer said the officers did not find alternative means of defusing the situation, beyond “Tasing a slight 18-year-old fellow on more than one occasion” — and doing so within seconds of encountering Rae.

“You’ve got somebody who’s in a crisis, clearly,” Kendall said. “Officers can use their words.”

An RCMP spokesperson said Tuesday the service is “not in a position to comment on matters that are before the court.”

marsha.mcleod@freepress.mb.ca