After examining the report produced by the Bureau of Independent Investigations (BEI), the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP) concludes that the analysis of the evidence does not reveal the commission of a criminal offense by the police officer. the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) on the event that occurred in Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon on November 23, 2023, surrounding the death of a man.
The examination of the investigation report prepared by the BEI was entrusted to a criminal and penal prosecutor (prosecutor). The latter carried out a complete examination of the evidence in order to assess whether, in light of the evidence retained, it reveals the commission of criminal offenses. The prosecutor met and informed the deceased person’s relatives of the reasons for the decision.
Event
On the night of November 23, 2023, a man was found convulsing on the floor of his bedroom. When he regains consciousness, the man is agitated. He appears aggressive and makes incomprehensible comments. Armed with a machete, he then tried to attack the person who had come to his aid. The latter, however, succeeds in putting an end to the altercation and disarms the man in crisis. Before leaving the scene to take refuge in her vehicle, she hid the machete in another room of the house and then noticed that the man had returned to his bedroom, which was located in the basement of the residence.
Around 2:58 a.m., another family member called 911 to request police intervention. The caller is not at the scene. He contacted the emergency services at the request of the relative who had just found the man in crisis.
Around 3:12 a.m., a sergeant and a police officer arrived on site and met the relative who was inside the residence with the man in crisis. The latter explains to them what happened and confirms that other bladed weapons are inside the house. He also tells them that the man used cocaine and experienced psychotic episodes during his adolescence. After collecting this information, the police ask the relative to step aside so that they can intervene safely. The sergeant then requested assistance from the ambulance services, who were however instructed to remain in the background.
Two other police officers arrived on scene around 3:22 a.m. The sergeant asked the other officers to deploy in order to establish a security perimeter around the residence. Quickly noticing that everything seemed calm inside the house, the police tried to contact the man using his cell phone. However, their calls are redirected to voicemail.
The police being unable to establish contact with the man in crisis, the sergeant requested assistance from teams from the neighboring station. While waiting for these reinforcements, the police continued their observation of the scene and tried numerous times to call the man’s cell phone.
Around 4:24 a.m., two teams from the neighboring station arrived on the scene. The police redeployed and continued their efforts to contact the man via his cell phone. Modifying their strategy, they then use the flashing lights, siren and loudspeaker of a patrol car to attract his attention and invite him to respond to their calls. Once again, these attempts proved unsuccessful.
Accompanied by another officer, the sergeant then decided to approach the residence in order to observe the interior of the building through the windows. As they do so, they notice that the front door is unlocked and attempt to communicate with the man by speaking to him from the doorway.
Their calls remaining unanswered, the two police officers approach the window overlooking the bedroom where the man is said to have taken refuge. At around 5:16 a.m., the sergeant asked the officer accompanying him to open the window and remove the curtain covering the window opening. The sergeant then sees the man who is on the ground, face down. Realizing that he seemed unconscious, the sergeant quickly asked the police officers who had remained behind to enter the house in order to assist him and requested immediate assistance from the paramedics stationed near the scene of the intervention.
Around 5:19 a.m., the police entered the room and found the man inert. They turned the man onto his back and noted that it was impossible to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers due to the position and rigidity of the body. The electrodes of an automated external defibrillator are nevertheless placed on the man’s chest, but the device does not recommend administering a shock.
Around 5:26 a.m., paramedics arrived on the scene and quickly found that the man was deceased.
According to the report of the pathologist who examined the body, the man’s death was attributable to cocaine intoxication.
Conclusion
Following its analysis, the DPCP is of the opinion that the evidence does not reveal the commission of a criminal offense by the police officer and the SQ police officers involved in this event.
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