Man Dies During Kativik Police Action in Kuujjuaq (Dec. 19, 2021)

Quebec’s Independent Investigations Bureau (BEI) is investigating a 56-year-old man’s death during an intervention by the Kativik Regional Police Force in Kuujjuaq. The BEI reports that police were contacted around 5:30 PM by a relative who reported that a man in a nearby residence was making suicidal comments.

Officers reportedly called the individual, who allegedly denied having a firearm in his possession. They later went to the residence and attempted to speak with the man. Shortly after police arrived, the man allegedly shot himself. He was pronounced dead at the health center.

The BEI has assigned five investigators to examine the case.

No other details have been released publicly. It has not been reported why only police contacted the man and not health care providers.

Two Teenagers Killed in Police Pursuit in Montreal (Dec. 17, 2021)

Two teenagers, aged 16 and 18, were killed when their vehicle fell from an overpass off the Décarie Expressway in Montreal during a police pursuit. The Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI) reports that the vehicle was travelling southbound on Highway 15 when Sûreté du Québec (SQ), the provincial police, signaled for it to pull over at around 2:20 AM. The car did not stop and SQ officers engaged a pursuit. Both male occupants were killed.

The BEI has assigned five investigators to examine the scene. The BEI is not an independent agency, and Montreal police will be involved in the investigation.

This is the third BEI investigation to be opened in Montreal in a 24-hour period. A man was shot and killed by police in Lachine and, in a separate incident, a man was hospitalized following his arrest.

Montreal Police Shoot and Kill Man (Dec. 16, 2021)

Montreal police (Service de police de la Ville de Montréal, SPVM) shot and killed a man at a residential building located on rue des Érables, in the Lachine sector, in Montreal. The Bureau des Enquêtes Indépendantes (Bureau of Independent Investigations, BEI) reports that shortly after 1:00 PM, police responded to a call regarding a man with a shar object and an assault. They claim that upon arrival at the scene, police located a man who allegedly had a sharp object “in his possession.” Police opened fire on the man who was struck by at least one projectile. The man was transported to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The BEI has assigned seven investigators to examine the killing. The BEI is no an independent agency and relies on other police forces for its investigations. In this case, the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) will also take part in the investigation. The SQ will provide two forensic identification technicians.

No other information has been released publicly at this time.

Manitoba RCMP Shoot and Kill Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation Man Near Westbourne (Dec. 15, 2021)

Manitoba RCMP shot and killed a 31-year-old man from Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation on December 15, 2021. The Independent Investigation Unit (IIU) reports that the killing occurred a bit before 9 AM outside the community of Westbourne, about 20 kilometers northwest of Portage la Prairie.

According to the IIU, there was a report of a hitchhiker stabbing a driver on Highway 16. Officers found a man allegedly trying to get into vehicles some distance down the highway, near the junction with Highway 50. Police claim the man had a knife and during some sort of “confrontation” the man was shot. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

No other information has been released at this time. Details of the nature of police interactions with the man and of the alleged confrontation have not been provided publicly.

Thirty-Nine-Year-Old Man in Crisis Falls to Death in Sûreté du Québec Action in Pont-Rouge (Dec. 15, 2021)

The Bureau des Enquêtes Indépendantes (Bureau of Independent Investigations, BEI) is investigating the death of a man during a Sûreté du Québec (SQ, provincial police) action on December 15, 2021, in Pont-Rouge.

According to the BEI, SQ officers were called to a property on the Grand Capsa road, in Pont-Rouge, regarding a person in crisis.  When they arrived, they reportedly encountered a 39-year-old man who was “disorganized.”  He took refuge at the top of a grain silo located on the property. It is reported that at around 7:12 PM, while police were allegedly trying to negotiate with the man, he fell to the bottom of the silo. He was declared dead at the scene.

No other details have been provided publicly at this time. No information has been provided regarding the character of police interactions with the man or in what ways they might have engaged with him prior to his fall.

The BEI has assigned five investigators to examine the case.

Dillon McDonald (28) Identified as Montreal Lake Cree Nation Man Killed by RCMP (Dec. 14, 2021)

The family of the young man shot and killed by Saskatchewan RCMP on December 14, 2021, have identified him as Dillon McDonald (28) of Montreal Lake Cree Nation, the father to a six-year-old daughter.

The family is calling for answers about why a young man in distress was killed by police. His sister, Chantel McDonald, has stated publicly: “What happened to him is traumatizing and painful to see. We need answers.”

RCMP Shoot and Kill Montreal Lake Cree Nation Man (Dec. 14, 2021)

Saskatchewan RCMP shot and killed a Montreal Lake Cree Nation man on December 14, 2021. It is reported that RCMP officers from the Waskesiu detachment responded to a report of a man with a firearm who had barricaded himself inside a home on the Montreal Lake Cree Nation, about 105 kilometers north of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. The man left the home after about five hours, when officers shot him. He was taken to a hospital in Prince Albert and died there about an hour later.

There is no independent oversight agency in Saskatchewan, so police investigate police. In this case, the Saskatoon Police Service will do the “investigation.” The Ministry of Justice has been asked to appoint an investigation observer.

No other details are available at this time.

Thirty-Six-Year-Old Woman in Distress Dies in Saskatchewan RCMP Custody (Nov. 9, 2021)

A 36-year-old woman died while in the custody of Saskatchewan RCMP in the early morning of November9, 2021. It has been reported that on November 8, at around 9 PM, Broadview RCMP received a report of a “distraught individual” in the village of Kennedy (approximately 177 kilometers south east of Regina). The woman was taken into police custody under the Mental Health Act and went into medical distress shortly afterwards. The woman was transported to hospital where she was declared dead at around 2:30 AM.

There is no independent investigations unit in Saskatchewan. Cops investigate cops. In this case the Moose Jaw Police Service will be conducting the investigation into the death. It has been requested that the Ministry of Justice appoint an independent observer.