Quebec police watchdog launches investigation after man, 51, dies in downtown Montreal
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Quebec’s police watchdog is investigating after a man died during a police intervention in downtown Montreal Saturday night.
According to the Bureau of Independent Investigations (BEI), Montreal police were called to a hotel on Sherbrooke Street for a domestic dispute at around 10:40 p.m. Saturday.
Police reported that the 51-year-old man started to run once officers arrived, the BEI said.
After chasing him on foot for 300 metres, they caught up to him near the corner of Ontario and Saint-Timothée streets, police told the BEI.
Police say the man then threw his bag to the ground and told them he was armed. They then used pepper spray to subdue and handcuff him.
According to the BEI’s preliminary report, the man then lost consciousness and didn’t have a pulse.
He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The BEI steps in whenever someone is killed or injured during a police operation.
The agency had six investigators at the scene overnight Saturday. They have called in a forensic expert with the provincial police force to help with the investigation.
The BEI is asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact them on their website.