On July 1, 2018 the Kelowna RCMP received reports of a violent altercation. Police responded to the vicinity of the Queensway bus loop where they discovered 23-year-old Esa Carriere on the ground in grave condition suffering from life threatening injuries. He later succumbed to his injuries in hospital.

Image Credit: TWITTER/BCRCMP

As Kelowna’s 2018 Canada Day fireworks display exploded in the sky, Esa Carriere fell to the ground and was fatally attacked by a group of people who’d been chasing him for mere seconds, the court heard today.

Nathan Truant, then 26,  and Noah Vaten, then 20, are alleged to have been among that group and today, more than two years after their arrest, their respective manslaughter trials got underway. Two youth were also charged, though their names are protected by a publication ban.

Crown counsel Martin Nadon said in his opening statement that by relying upon witness testimony, DNA, CCTV footage from cameras across the city,  as well as RCMP testimony, he intends to show that Vaten and Truant were among a group of people who fatally injured Carrier.

The group, including Carrier, was first seen on camera at the entryway in the Kasugai garden, which was closed at the time. 

In the entryway, however, there's an indent in the wall where Nadon said the group had gathered and a fight broke out.

Through the video, it looks like Carriere struck Vaten, then took off running across the City Hall lot toward Okanagan Lake.

He was chased by four people, and it’s alleged that Vaten and Truant were part of that group.

“At the end of the chase, which was near the rear of the Highway 97 bus stop, Carriere was either tripped or fell to the ground, and was then attacked by members of the group,” Nadon said.

“He was punched and kicked while he was on the ground. During the attack, Mr. Carriere was stabbed once the chest and it turned out to be fatal.”

Nadon said the chase lasted approximately 15 seconds and was captured by surveillance cameras located on the City Hall property. It was just after midnight July 2, 2018 when Carriere, who had been transported to Kelowna General Hospital, was pronounced dead from a chest wound.

Although the cameras show the location and the assault, given the time of night and the distance the camera is away from the fight, no identification can be made from the camera, he said.

Given that it was Canada Day, and the fireworks were going on, there were a lot of people along the path where the attack occurred and some witnessed portions of it.

There were also two security guards who were nearby and they ended up detaining one of the people involved in the attack.

Nadon said further video evidence will show that Vaten and Truant took a bus to where they lived in Rutland as Carriere was cared for in the hospital.

“They got off the bus at approximately 12:30 a.m. and at approximately 1:40 a.m. there is a video of Mr. Truant arriving at his residence, which was located in the Rutland area of the city as well,” Nadon said.
Vaten, however, was arrested for causing a disturbance at the Rutland community police office. 

It was closed but two officers heard him making a disturbance and transported him to city cells. He was released the next day.

When he was later connected to the case, police learned that he told his cellmate what happened, though the cellmate didn’t take him seriously at the time. His statement was taken later.

Nadon’s opening statements aren’t evidence, they’re merely the outline of what will be raised as evidence throughout the trial.

Crown’s case is expected to continue until March 10, at which point the defence will be able to offer evidence.

Carrier was 23 years old when he was killed. He had recently relocated to Kelowna from Mississauga, Ontario.

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