Michel Vienneau's supporters march in Tracadie 1 year after death

About 75 people took part in a commemorative march on Tuesday morning in the northeastern community of Tracadie on the anniversary of the shooting death of Michel Vienneau.

The electronics store owner was shot by the Bathurst police last yearoutside the city's train station.

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On Tuesday, the supporterschanted the victim's name then released dozens of balloons into the air.

Vienneau'stwin daughters were among those who attended the event as well as his close friend, Joanne Savoie.

"Michel was such a great guy and he never would hurt anybody. He didn't like violence and what happened to him is really really sad. This should never happen," she said.

The marchers inTracadiesay they believeVienneauwas killed by the police without cause.

The Tracadie man's death has sparked separate lawsuits.

"We are asking the minister of justice to study the police, the way they're working and to maybe divide them into one group with guns, and one group with no guns. If the police cannot respect the law without guns, there's a problem," saidCamilleMcLaughlin,friend ofVienneau'sand organizer ofthe march.

The police say they had received a tip that he was coming back from Montreal with a load of illegal drugs.

Annick Basque, Vienneau's common-law partner, has filed two civil suits against the city.

In its statement of defence, the City of Bathurstsaid the police officers fired in self-defence after Vienneau's car accelerated without warning and pinned one of the officers against a snowbank.

A report by theNova Scotia RCMPsaid they found no evidence in their investigation that Vienneau was involved in illegal activity.

Two members of the Bathurst Police Force, constables Patrick Bulger and Mathieu Boudreau, are facing manslaughter and weapons charges.

Earlier this month,their cases wereadjourned until Feb. 3, at which time they are scheduled to enter pleas to the charges.