NORTH BATTLEFORD — Family and supporters turned out in high numbers at North Battleford provincial court on March 16 to show their support for the taxi driver who was fatally shot in the parking lot of a North Battleford motel on March 13.
Two 19-year-old men have been charged in relation to the death of the North Battleford taxi driver.
Police have charged Kojac Adams with first-degree murder. Garren Baptiste is charged with manslaughter in the death of the driver.
Adams has additionally been charged with forcible confinement; assault with a weapon; and pointing a firearm. Baptiste has also been charged with forcible confinement.
They appeared in court Monday.
Both accused remain in custody. Their cases were adjourned to March 30 at 9:30 a.m., while they seek assistance from legal aid. The two accused were ordered to abide by a no-contact order for a list of eight people.
While RCMP have not released the identity of the 30-year-old victim, a North Battleford taxi company has confirmed that one of their cab drivers was fatally shot after being dispatched to a call at a local motel on March 13.
According to a release by RCMP, on March 13 at approximately 7:45 a.m., the Battlefords detachment received a report of an injured man in a business parking lot off the Highway 16 bypass in North Battleford. Responding officers located the man, who was declared dead by EMS at the scene.
The man has been identified as a 30-year-old from North Battleford. His family has been notified.
RCMP also say their investigation has indicated that one of the two accused allegedly assaulted and pointed a firearm at another individual in the business, and together they allegedly confined that individual to a room at the business. The victim was later transported to hospital for injuries described as non-life-threatening, say RCMP.
Community mourns cab driver remembered as hardworking and kind
Haris Korath, one of the owners of Crown Cab who employed the taxi driver who died, described him to SaskToday as someone who was hard working.
"He had three jobs," Korath said. "He was working for his family. He was very nice to all of our drivers. He was not just a driver, he was an asset to Crown Cab. It's been three years he's been full-time. He never took a day off."
Crown Cab confirmed the name of the victim as Davinder Singh on the company's Facebook page on March 13.
Singh was married. Originally from Punjab in northern India, he had been living in Canada for the last four or five years.
Crown Cab said it was donating the sales from rides on March 16 to the victim's family.
While the date for the funeral hasn't been announced yet, people can drop off flowers and condolences to Crown Cab and they will be sent to the family of Singh.
