After two decades since Curtis Dagenais committed the fatal shooting of two RCMP officers and injured another in Saskatchewan, he is set to appear in a Saskatoon court later this month regarding a legal dispute over his truck. The 1986 blue GMC 1500 is currently stored at the RCMP headquarters in Regina, with the Crown seeking its forfeiture and destruction, a move opposed by Dagenais.
The tragic incident unfolded on July 6, 2006, when Dagenais, being pursued by three RCMP constables in Spiritwood, drove off in his truck, leading to a confrontation. The officers attempted to arrest him, resulting in a chase that culminated in a violent collision between Dagenais’s truck and an RCMP vehicle, leading to fatal shootings of Constables Marc Bourdages and Robin Cameron. Another officer, Constable Michelle Knopp, was also injured in the incident.
Following a jury conviction in 2009, Dagenais was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder, receiving a life sentence without parole for 25 years. Despite an unsuccessful appeal in 2012, the recent court proceedings revolve around the delayed application for the truck’s forfeiture.
The Crown prosecutor, Scott Bartlett, explained that the oversight in filing for forfeiture earlier was unintentional and attributed it to administrative lapses. Dagenais, who maintains his innocence, expressed his opposition to destroying the truck as he believes the bullet holes could potentially support his claims. The court granted an adjournment to allow Dagenais time to secure legal representation for the upcoming forfeiture hearing scheduled for August 31st.
In a recent development, Innocence Canada, whom Dagenais had sought assistance from, confirmed they would not be representing him in this matter. With the legal proceedings ongoing, the fate of the truck remains uncertain as the legal battle continues.