Five police officers honored for their composure during a risky intervention

Five police officers from the Quebec City Police Service (SPVQ) were honored for their composure and professionalism during a risky intervention with a man in crisis who had stabbed two women on March 20, 2023.

During a ceremony held at the end of November, the SPVQ presented a citation of honor to agents Charles Beaulieu, Frédéric Beaulieu, Alexandre Labrie, Frédéric Métivier as well as to Captain Julien Boivin.

“It is undeniable that without their precise and controlled intervention, the events of that day could have taken a tragic turn,” it was clarified.

Chief Denis Turcotte and the mayor highlighted the courage of the police officers, who took significant actions to help a person in danger.

“In this era where it's easy to blame the police, we are all excellent stage managers after the fact. We decided to take the opposite path, to always protect our agents,” said Mayor Bruno Marchand.

“It’s very important that we emphasize this. It feels good,” admitted police officer Charles Beaulieu in an interview.

Woman stabbed

On March 20, 2023, a 911 call reported a knife attack that had occurred in an apartment building located on Chemin Sainte-Foy. A woman was stabbed nearby.

When the first patrol vehicle arrived on scene, a man was in the parking lot. He holds a knife in each hand.

Across the street, a woman is lying on the sidewalk, her coat stained with blood.

The man does not cooperate and constantly repeats: “Pull me, pull me.”

A few minutes later, as the man advanced towards the officers, a police officer fired twice in his direction. The latter is hit and falls to the ground, dropping his knives.

A death

Paramedics arrive on the scene and assist the woman. The two injured people were taken to a hospital, where the man was pronounced dead.

“We must prioritize people’s safety, and that’s what we did. There was only one death, although there could have been many more,” says Captain Julien Boivin.

With humility, the police believe that there is no perfect intervention.

“We are proud of our job. There were no other injuries,” mentions Charles Beaulieu.

“Having discussed it, we experienced it in a positive way, even if it is not desirable,” specifies Frédéric Métivier.

“Necessary”

After an independent investigation, the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions decided not to lay charges.

“Indeed, police officers are often placed in situations where they must quickly make difficult decisions. In this case, the intervention with the man was legal,” we can read in the report.

The officer who fired had reasonable grounds to believe that the force applied was necessary to prevent serious injury or even death.