Carter Foster and his buddies--Lloyd Bainbridge, Matthew Lambert, Michael Small and Greg Guthrie--are hardworking men from the New Brunswick island of Grand Manan. They respect the laws of the sea and land. But in the summer of 2006 they had a terrifying run-in with the law that would change their lives.

The trouble started with Foster's neighbour, Ross--a man many in the community believed to be running a crack house. There had been numerous confrontations on the street where both men lived.

"People will find it kind of hard to understand that this one guy called Ronnie Ross could terrorize an entire community," says Foster. "If we're all scared of one person in the middle of us, there should be a law that he has to go--not us live in fear."

Foster says the intimidation escalated after a truck caught fire on Ross's property. Ross was threatening to retaliate by burning his neighbors out and rumours were running rampant throughout the island that vengeance was coming from Ross.

"People say, 'well, why didn't you call the cops?' We've called the cops hundreds of times," says Foster. Officers attached to the small RCMP detachment on Grand Manan had tried to investigate Ross, but the perception on the island was that he could get away with anything.

On the night of July 22nd, Foster and his friends banded together to protect their tranquil community. But what started as a neighborhood dispute erupted into a violent street brawl where shots were fired and Ross's house was burned to the ground.

"I really do hope that the lives of these young men is not ruined as a result of what they have attempted to do," said one Grand Mananer at a public meeting in the aftermath of the riot.

"They took a stand and they oughta be commended," said another.

Islanders were frustrated, angry and confused. Did the arrest of five young fishermen represent justice or an injustice?