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A Saskatoon judge has reserved his decision on whether a pickup truck belonging to the man who killed two RCMP officers 20 years ago should be forfeited to the Crown.
In 2009, a jury convicted 61-year-old Curtis Dagenais of first-degree murder for shooting constables Robin Cameron and Marc Bourdages. He was also convicted of attempted murder for wounding Const. Michelle Knopp.
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In July 2006, Dagenais was in a 1986 GMC truck when officers went to arrest him in Spiritwood, northwest of Saskatoon, after a report of a domestic dispute. Dagenais sped off, and a police chase ended with an RCMP vehicle ramming into the side of his truck. A shootout followed.
Dagenais received three life sentences without eligibility for parole for 25 years. For two decades, Dagenais’ truck has been stored at the RCMP headquarters in Regina.
The truck’s windows are broken, the doors dented, and it is pockmarked with bullet holes.
Dagenais sat in an orange sweatshirt at Saskatoon’s Court of King’s Bench on Monday, representing himself at the hearing.
He spent much of the hearing challenging his original conviction, accusing the RCMP and Crown of misconduct.
Dagenais told the court he had been “locked up like a dog.”
Justice Daryl Labach repeatedly reminded Dagenais the hearing was about the truck and not about “rehashing” the circumstances of the shooting.
When Labach asked Dagenais why the truck should not be forfeited to the Crown, he responded “I really don’t think it’s fair.”
Dagenais said his truck is “still worth a few dollars” and said he could make money from selling it for parts.
“If I were to forfeit this truck to the Crown, how would that provide a hardship to you?” Labach asked.
“Just another few dollars to take away from me that you can’t use to defend yourself, I guess,” Dagenais said.
“But you’ve already been convicted,” Labach said.
“I’m not done fighting,” Dagenais replied.
Prosecutor Scott Bartlett said the Crown’s position is that the truck is offence-related property because it was connected to the 2006 shooting and should be forfeited.
He argued that while the truck has little value for parts, taking it away would not be unreasonable given the seriousness of Dagenais’ crimes that left two RCMP officers dead and a third injured.
Labach is expected to make his ruling on Dec. 4 at Saskatoon’s Court of King’s Bench.
— with files from Canadian Press
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