Neighbours describe shooting at Sioux Valley murder trial

The trial of a man charged in a 2023 homicide in Sioux Valley Dakota Nation began Monday with testimony from two of his neighbours who described the fatal shooting of a 21-year-old man.

Jeremy Blacksmith, 43, pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Blaze Tacan, as well as two weapons offences.

Crown attorneys Sarah Kok and Rich Lonstrup called up two witnesses, siblings Francine and Jonathan Mazawasicuna, who were the first to testify in the two-week trial in Brandon’s Court of King’s Bench.

Francine, 43, said she was sitting outside visiting with her three brothers at her mother’s house around 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 5, 2023, when she saw Tacan get shot.

Tacan and a 17-year-old male, who was allegedly holding a can of bear spray, were arguing outside Blacksmith’s home, which is across the gravel road, or about 50 feet, from where she was, court heard.

“They were calling each other on, and you could tell they were going to fight,” Francine said.

The youth, now 19, pleaded guilty to weapons charges and was sentenced to one year of supervised probation and a two-year weapons prohibition. The youth can’t be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Tacan told the youth, who was standing near a parked motorcycle, that he wasn’t afraid of him and “he did tell him, ‘Go ahead and use your weapon,’” she said.

The witness testified the youth yelled for Blacksmith to come outside the house and when he did, there was an exchange between Blacksmith and the youth, who had unzipped a backpack he was carrying on his shoulders.

Francine said Blacksmith was holding a sawed-off shotgun while pointing it at Tacan.

“At first, I didn’t know what it was … but then I realized what was going to happen. I knew he had a gun,” she said, while sobbing on the witness stand.

“By the time I’d seen Jeremy lift it up, I told my brothers he had a gun and the next thing I know, we heard the shot.”

Francine said she had a “clear view” of when Tacan fell backwards onto the road after he was shot. Blacksmith walked over to see Tacan’s motionless body before she heard the youth yelling, “C’mon, let’s go,” she said.

She said Blacksmith walked back into the yard and handed the gun to the youth, then stood on the deck for a few seconds before he and the youth ran off.

The entire incident happened in the span of 15 minutes, Francine testified.

She said one of her brothers called 911 and a First Nations safety officer arrived at the scene.

She could hear Tacan’s mother and girlfriend crying when they saw his body at the scene, she said.

During cross-examination, Francine told defence lawyers Anthony Dawson and Bob Harrison that she didn’t return to her mother’s house for a few months because she was traumatized by what she saw.

When Dawson asked her whether it was possible she was wrong about what she saw that night, she held firm and said, “I wish I didn’t see that.”

Her brother, Jonathan, 37, testified that he was outside with his siblings at his mother’s house when he saw the youth and Tacan arguing.

“They were getting more aggressive with each other,” he said.

Jonathan said Blacksmith came outside onto the deck, walked toward the youth and then concealed a gun when he went down a path that led to the road where Tacan was standing.

He heard Tacan say, “Oh, you have a gun,” followed by a loud pop noise, he said.

“I seen a kid’s head, like, stuff fly out of it,” Jonathan said.

He testified that Blacksmith handed the gun to the youth before he went back to look at Tacan’s body. Then the youth and Blacksmith went inside the house for about five to 10 minutes before they left, he said.

The trial continues today.

» tadamski@brandonsun.com