Prince Albert Provincial Court. (File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Crime

Man shoots friend in face, pleads guilty to aggravated assault

Jul 21, 2021 | 11:00 AM

The words reckless, stupid, and foolish were used multiple times in a Prince Albert courtroom Tuesday to describe the actions of a man who accidently shot another man in the face.

Dusty Keenatch, 22, entered guilty pleas to aggravated assault and careless use of a firearm.

The shooting incident happened in the early morning hours of Sept. 27, 2020. According to the statement of facts read by Crown Prosecutor Mary Ann Larson, Keenatch, the victim, and a third man, were hanging out, drinking and playing video games at a residence in the Carlton Park area.

At some point, Keenatch pulled a hand gun out from the waist band of his pants, and despite being told to put it away, proceeded to show off, pointing it directly at the victim who was 19 at the time. Not knowing the gun was loaded, Keenatch pulled the trigger, and the victim was shot in the lower jaw area.

“Oh (expletive) what did I do,” Keenatch was overheard saying, explained Larson.

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Keenatch quickly checked on the victim then fled the house on foot. He was arrested later that day and has been in custody since.

The victim was located by police, sitting on the curb, and bleeding from the mouth. He was sent to hospital in Prince Albert and later transferred by STARS air ambulance to Saskatoon.

According to the emotional victim impact statement read in court by the victim’s mother, the victim has undergone multiple surgeries to repair his jaw and teeth. Due to the delicate area where the bullet was lodged, doctors were unable to remove it, fearing further complications.

“I felt physically sick when I walked into my son’s room,” the mother recalled about her experience of going to hospital.

The mother explained that in addition to her son’s physical injuries, both he and the family have also suffered severe emotional trauma, fearing the shooter would come back. The victim’s ability to engage in any sports or manual labor has also been limited.

“My entire family has many hurdles to overcome,” she said.

The Crown is seeking a four-year prison sentence. Larson explained the aggravating factors include Keenatch’s criminal record, which in turn includes a conviction for an aggravated assault that happened while he was in custody. Keenatch committed an assault on a fellow inmate when he tried to cut the facial tattoos off the fellow inmate’s face. On June 25, Keenatch received a sentence of 18 months.

Keenatch was originally scheduled to face trial, having entered not guilty pleas at a separate hearing last November. Larson explained the witnesses, who had tears in their eyes, were relieved to hear they would not have to testify.

Defence submissions

Keenatch’s lawyer Chris Koban reiterated that the shooting was not an act of malice and simply more a case of bad judgment, where Keenatch himself admitted it was “mind blowingly irresponsibe.”

Koban, who is seeking a two- to three-year jail sentence, explained there were some Gladue factors to consider, including Keenatch’s history of family abuse, poverty, and limited education, having only completed Grade 7.

Koban also explained that while there was no diagnosis to prove it, there was likely some cognitive issues at hand as well.

After hearing from both lawyers, Judge Healey ultimately decided to reserve his decision to Sept. 24.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell