GATINEAU, Que. — Quebec's police watchdog is investigating after police in Gatineau, Que., shot and killed a man late Wednesday after he allegedly stabbed an officer multiple times.
A spokesman with the watchdog — Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes, or BEI — confirmed that Gatineau police fired the gun.
Police said officers were called just before midnight on Wednesday to Saint-Rédempteur Street in the city's Hull neighbourhood. They did not specify why officers were dispatched to that location.
During what police described as an "intervention," they said a police officer was stabbed and seriously injured. Other officers called to the scene intervened quickly and shot and killed the alleged attacker.
The BEI, which is mandated to investigate when someone is seriously injured or killed during a police intervention, said Thursday that five of its investigators are assigned to look into the case.
In a statement Thursday, Gatineau police director Simon Fournier said the patrol officer was stabbed multiple times, suffering cuts to his arms, shoulders and neck. He said no vital organs or arteries were struck.
The officer was released from hospital and is with his family," he said. "Last night was a stark reminder that the work that police officers do day after day, night after night, is not without risk," Fournier said.
Police force employees are being provided with access to mental health services, he added.
“The death of a person, regardless of the context, is never desirable and remains a tragedy," Fournier said. "While we ourselves are shaken by the serious injury of a colleague, our thoughts are with the family of the individual who lost his life."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.
Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press
