Ian Bush was killed in October 2005 during a struggle in the Houston [British Columbia] RCMP detachment after he was arrested with an open beer outside the northern B.C. town's arena during a hockey game.Bush's mother has just dropped her civil suit against the RCMP:
The officer was never charged.
Bush said she did not want to relive the "anger and despair" a civil case would have rekindled and that the cost of continuing the legal battle given B.C.'s user-pay regime was too heavy.Ian Bush was shot in the back of the head by the RCMP.
"(The court costs) put it out of reach for ordinary people," she said.
Bush estimated well over $130,000 raised through donations across the country had already been spent on fighting for justice in her son's death.
"I know many people, including some who are very close to me, will be very disappointed with the decision," she said.
"I do, however need to make the decision after considering what makes the most sense . . . Nothing we can do will give Ian's life back to him, so the only thing we truly want is not within our reach."
Bush said she felt much more "comfortable" with the Mounties now than she did 4 1/2 years ago and couldn't say whether that was from "forgiveness or maybe a form of acceptance."
Just another isolated incident I'm sure. All is under control. There's no chance that the new mechanism where RCMP malfeasance is investigated by BC municipal police departments will just turn into mutual whitewashing. No chance at all.
Angry day continues....
