Lawsuit settled in Ottawa police killing of Indigenous man with mental illness

A lawsuit filed by relatives of Greg Ritchie, an Indigenous man with mental illness who was shot and killed by two Ottawa police officers in 2019, has been settled out of court for an undisclosed amount, the law firm handling the family's case announced Thursday.

The civil suit seeking $920,000 in damages waslaunched in May 2020, a few months after an investigation by Ontario's police watchdog cleared the two officers of criminal wrongdoingin the fatal shooting.

It happened just before 8 a.m. on Jan. 31, 2019, after an OC Transpo dispatcher called 911 to report that Ritchiehad been seen walkinginto ashopping centrecarrying a large silver-bladed knife in his jacket,according to the Special Investigations Unit director's report examiningthe incident.

In fact, Ritchiewas heading to a pharmacy to pick up medicationand was carryinga 40-centimetre-long stick with a thinly edged rock attached to one end with strips of fabric something he made in honour ofhis Indigenous heritage to comfort himself, his family told CBC at the time. Ritchiesometimes made and sold similar objects.

Two Ottawa police constables arrived,Thanh Tran (now a sergeant) andDaniel Vincelette. One of them fired a Taser at Ritchie twice during an altercation in which Ritchiewas moving toward the officers with the handmade object in his hands, according to the SIU director's report.

Ritchie then"raised the object above his head and swung it at" the other officer, who fired two or three shots from his gun at Ritchie, the report states. "At about the same time," the officer who had fired the Taser fired his gun at Ritchieseven or eight times.

Three of the bullets struck Ritchie, who fell on the sidewalk. The officers then handcuffed Ritchie and administered emergency first-aid until paramedics arrived. He was later pronounced dead in hospital.

The 10 plaintiffs in the civil suitincluded Ritchie's brotherNick Ritchieand sister-in-law Chantel Ritchie, who were represented by the firm Greenspon Granger Hill. The defendantswerethe Ottawa Police Services Board, the two officers who shot and killed Greg Ritchie, and then police chief Charles Bordeleau.

In a statement sent by their law firm, Nick and Chantel Ritchiecalled on police to learn more aboutIndigenous communitiesand mental illness.

"The lack of cultural and psychological empathy and training amongst some law enforcement is a danger to both officers and the community at large. Our desire is to see those in authority be able to build and earn our trust in their ability to work with our communities in a more peaceful manner where the result does not end in tragedy and violence," their statement reads.

"The effects of the trauma we have experienced over the last few years continues to be a daily challenge, but this effort to find answers and seek some justice has helped us move one step closer to healing. Our hope is that as we continue to heal, we can continue to share Gregory's story and it can be a catalyst for change."

The chair of the Ottawa Police Services Board, Suzanne Valiquet, wrote in an emailed statement Thursday that she can't comment on the settlement because the terms remain confidential.

"The circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. Ritchie are very tragic and our hearts go out to his family and loved ones," Valiquet wrote.

Ottawa police, meanwhile, redirected a request for comment to the police services board.