The fate of the man accused of murdering an Ontario Provincial Police officer and seriously injuring two others in Bourget, Ont. two years ago is now in the hands of the jury. Jurors at Alain Bellefeuille’s murder trial began deliberations Thursday afternoon after being instructed by the judge for several hours. The charge to the jury included a review of legal principles, definitions, an overview of some of the evidence and as well as summaries of the Crown and defence positions. “The only information you can consider in making your decision in this case is the evidence you heard and saw in the courtroom during the trial,” Superior Court Justice Robert Pelletier told the jury of 12, adding the decisions must be made “without sympathy, prejudice or fear.” Bellefeuille admitted he fired the shots that killed Sgt. Eric Mueller and wounded constables Marc Lauzon and François Gamache-Asselin in the middle of the night on May 11, 2023. The officers responded to Bellefeuille’s home to conduct a wellness check after a neighbour called 911 and reported hearing yelling, loud music and a gunshot. Bellefeuille has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder. The jury will have to determine Bellefeuille’s mindset in the moments leading up to and during the shooting and whether he knew he was shooting at police. During the trial that began at the end of March, Bellefeuille took the stand in his own defence and testified that he had been sleeping when he heard banging at the back of his house, saw flashlights shining into this bedroom and thought the officers were intruders. He said he never heard police announce themselves as officers while entering the home. The Crown argued Bellefeuille was lying in wait and ambushed the officers, firing several shots in rapid succession from a semi-automatic rifle with an illegally modified magazine. From the time the officers entered the unlocked front door announcing themselves as police to the time shots rang out was 14 seconds. Bellefeuille admitted he was drinking, listening to loud music and slamming doors in the hours before the shooting—he was angry he was being forced to move out of his home. Instructions to the jury The judge told the jury Bellefeuille could be found guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter or not guilty in relation to the death of Mueller. For a first-degree murder conviction, Pelletier said the Crown must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Bellefeuille intended to kill Mueller and that he knew Mueller was a police officer acting in the course of his duties or was aware of indications that Mueller could be a police officer but deliberately ignored that and didn’t inquire further. When it comes to the charge of attempted murder relating to Lauzon, the jury could find Bellefeuille guilty of attempted murder, aggravated assault, discharging a firearm with intent or not guilty. When it comes to the charge of attempted murder relating to Gamache-Asselin, the jury could find Bellefeuille guilty of attempted murder, aggravated assault, assault causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon, discharging a firearm with intent or not guilty. According to the law, when considering self-defence, Pelletier told the jury it had to consider whether Bellefeuille believed on reasonable grounds force was being used or threatened against him, whether he shot his firearm for the purpose of protecting himself and whether his response was reasonable in the circumstances as he believed them. If the Crown proves one or more elements do not exist beyond a reasonable doubt, then Bellefeuille cannot be found to have been acting in self-defence, Pelletier said. The remaining 12 people are now sequestered to deliberate. Two jurors dismissed during trial The trial started at the end of March with 14 jurors—two being alternates. Two jurors were dismissed at various points in the trial. The first was on April 30 after the court was informed some jurors felt intimidated and that they weren’t free to express their opinions because of another juror’s behaviour. A second juror was dismissed the following week. In that case the juror was late to court on May 9 and couldn’t be reached by phone so OPP were sent to check on them. An officer ended up driving them to the courthouse in a police cruiser in an effort to get the delayed proceedings underway. The judge didn’t think the juror was compromised but based on the optics, with the case involving police officers, the juror was dismissed. The judge said it was to preserve public confidence in the justice system. He did not blame the police officer or the juror.
