Quebec's police watchdog is investigating after police in Gatineau, Que., shot and killed a man who allegedly stabbed an officer multiple times.
A spokesman with the watchdog — Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes, or BEI — confirmed that police gunfire killed the man.
Officers were called just before midnight on Wednesday to St-Rédempteur Street in the city's Hull neighbourhood.
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 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.
According to information gathered by the watchdog, police had been called about 11:50 p.m. for a person allegedly making disturbing comments.
About six minutes later, a first officer arrived and an altercation ensued.
Other officers arrived later and the alleged attacker was shot. Police officers performed first aid on the shooting victim but he died at the scene. The man's age and identity were not released.
The watchdog was called just before 1 a.m., according to a statement released on Thursday afternoon.
In a statement, 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 offered 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
