Family of man who shot and killed police officer loses bid for compensation
The family of Basil Parasiris, a Laval man acquitted of first-degree murder after he shot and killed a police officer in 2007, has failed in its bid to get compensation from police.
Parasiris shot and killed Const. Daniel Tessier on March 2, 2007, during a raid on his family's home.
Police believed Parasiris was connected to drug dealing.
In his defence, Parasiris argued he believed his family was being attacked by home invaders when a police team swarmed the house and that he acted in self-defence.
Parasiris was acquitted in 2008, when a jury accepted his arguments. He was found guilty of illegal possession of firearms.
Parasiris' wife, Panagiota Gounis — who was shot during the raid — and his two children sued the City of Laval and its police force for $250,000 in damages connected to the raid, which they alleged was botched.
In a decision issued last Friday, more than a decade after the fatal shooting, Quebec Superior Court Judge France Dulude ruled that Laval police officers were "prudent and diligent" in their planning and execution of the raid.
"Although it's true the police intervention was not perfect, it has not been shown that officers violated standards of diligence," Dulude wrote in the decision.
Two different interpretations of police conduct
Dulude's decision contradicts the trial judge's assessment of the police's handling of the raid, who found that police made several errors in executing the raid.
In that ruling, Quebec Superior Court Judge Guy Cournoyer determined the raid was illegal, abusive and violated Parasiris' Charter rights.
Cournoyer found police didn't have sufficient evidence to justify obtaining a search warrant, shouldn't have carried out the raid at night and used an unjustified amount of force.
Last week's court decision refuted all those conclusions.
Dulude concluded there was enough evidence to obtain the search warrant, that police were justified in choosing to carry out the raid before sunrise and that they used a reasonable amount of force.
"Contrary to what the applicants affirm, the circumstances here justified this type of intervention. For police officers, the danger was real, and the risk was always present," Dulude wrote.
Police feel vindicated
Laval police chief Pierre Brochet says officers have been awaiting this decision for a long time, saying it "repairs a certain injustice."
"This has been a deep scar for years for our police force, and this is a balm for the pain, for the scar," Brochet said in an interview Tuesday.
"We were criticized. People said the intervention was mismanaged. The judgement says that's false, and that Laval police officers made no errors," Brochet said.
Brochet said he's always found it difficult to accept Parasiris was acquitted.
He said the civil trial had access to more evidence than was presented in Parasiris' criminal trial.
"More officers were able to testify who weren't allowed to testify during the criminal trial. The real facts came out and evidence was presented that was never heard at the criminal trial," Brochet said.
Parasiris' family was seeking $250,000
Panagiota Gounis, who is now separated from Parasiris, was seeking $150,000 in damages for the physical injuries she suffered and the emotional toll she said the raids took on her.
Her son George, who was 15 at the time of the raid, was seeking $25,000 in damages for psychological trauma.
Her daughter Stephanie, seven at the time of the raid, was seeking $75,000.
The family's lawyer couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday.
