'HE'S NOT A VIOLENT PERSON'

Girlfriend of Man Shot During Police Drug Raid Says He 'Shouldn't Have Been
Shot'

A 28-YEAR-OLD Renfrew man remained in hospital in Ottawa yesterday after
being shot by an OPP officer during a Friday morning drug raid.

Reached in his room at the Ottawa Hospital where he's under police guard
recovering from a bullet to his stomach, Louis Gia Forte, also known as
Louis Larocque, said he was feeling better and expected to be released last
night or today.

Asked about Friday's events, Gia Forte would not discuss it.

"I, more than anybody, would like the truth to get out. (But) I was told by
my lawyer not to say anything about what happened."

Loud Explosion

According to neighbours' accounts, it was around 9 a.m. when the OPP
tactical unit and drug officers arrived at 90 Opeongo Rd. where Gia Forte
lives with his girlfriend Lisa Lavallee and her eight-year-old daughter.

He'd put the little girl on a school bus about 30 minutes before police
arrived with the search warrant, a neighbour said.

Dan Vaillancourt told the Sun he'd just come outside when he heard a loud
explosion, which he mistook for a furnace blowing up. He then saw officers
at his neighbour's back door, but heard no gunshots after they rushed inside.

Gia Forte was whisked away by ambulance shortly afterwards.

The shooting is now under investigation by the province's Special
Investigations Unit. The civilian agency is independent of the police, but
investigates circumstances involving police that have led to serious
injury, sexual assault or death.

Lavallee was still upset by the police raid and Gia Forte being shot.

"I think they were wrong," she said. "No matter what, he shouldn't have
been shot. He's not a violent person."

Like her boyfriend, Lavallee said she wasn't supposed to talk about the
situation, but was fuming about her house.

'Over and Above'

"(It's) wrote off. Every door busted," she said. "If they wanted to search
my shed, they could have asked me for the key, they didn't have to break
down the door. They went way over and above what they were supposed to do."

OPP wouldn't say if any drugs or a weapon was found at the scene, but
confirmed yesterday no charges have yet been laid.