Man (56) Falls to Death During Police Action in Quebec City (Jan. 25, 2023)

A 56-year-old man in distress fell to his death during a Service de police de la Ville de Québec (SPVQ) action on January 25, 2023. The Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI) reports that at around 12:19 PM, a man called 911 and allegedly made suicidal remarks. During the call, he indicated that he was at Parc de la Chute-Montmorency.

When police arrived at the scene, they reportedly located a man on a platform. Police claim they tried to communicate with him, while remaining at a distance. The nature of their interaction with the man has not been reported publicly. At around 1:51 PM, the man allegedly jumped from the top of the platform. He was located unconscious, but subsequently declared dead by paramedics.

The BEI has assigned six investigators to examine the circumstances of the man’s death.

Police are not health care resources. Mental health care and supports should be provided in cases of people in crisis, not police.

Man Dies in Fall During OPP Action in South River, Ontario (Jan. 19, 2023)

Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is investigating the falling death of a 31-year-old man in South River, south of North Bay, in the early morning of January 19, 2023.

They report that at approximately 10:47 AM, an Ontario Provincial Police Service officer went to the Eagle Lake Road overpass at Highway 11 in response to a call about a man in distress. There was some type of undisclosed interaction between the officer and the man and the man fell from the overpass and onto the highway.  He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The SIU has assigned four investigators and three forensic investigators to examine the case. 

Man Shot and Killed By Prince Albert Police (Jan. 16, 2023)

A man was shot and killed by Prince Albert (Saskatchewan) police on January 16, 2023. A Prince Albert Police Service (PAPS) news release claims that the shooting happened at about 10:40 PM in the 400 block of South Industrial Drive “during a police investigation.”

Very few details were released publicly initially. For days no information was provided on the age of the victim, who had the gun or who fired it. The victim was treated by paramedics and taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT), which only recently became operational, will be investigating the shooting. It took them several days to confirm that a Prince Albert police officer shot and killed the man after a short foot chase..

Man (75) Dies During Montreal Police Action (Dec. 30, 2022)

A man, reported as being in mental distress, died during a Montreal police (SPVM) action on December 30, 2022. The BEI reports that around 8:38 AM, a call was made to 911 regarding a person who allegedly made suicidal remarks. The call also suggested that the man was in possession of a firearm.

Police went to the man’s residence on Monkland Avenue in Montreal and attempts were made to contact him by phone. The man reportedly ended the call.

Upon arrival at the scene, the police undertook evacuations and established a perimeter. At around 9:44 AM, the 75-year-old man was found unresponsive on the balcony of his 12th-floor apartment. He was later pronounced dead.

Five BEI investigators have been assigned to examine the circumstances of the death.

Man Dies in Longueuil Police Action (Dec. 25, 2022)

A man died during an intervention involving the Longueuil agglomeration police department (SPAL). The BEI is investigating. They report that on December 25, at around 12:15 PM, SPAL police officers were called to intervene in a family dispute at a residence located on Pendale Street in Greenfield Park. The 911 call allegedly reported a threatening man armed with a knife.

The first police officers arrived on the scene around 12:24 PM and established a perimeter before trying to make contact with the man inside. It is reported that police tried “to reason with him, in vain.”

Around 12:35 PM, a fire was started inside the residence. Police and firefighters entered the interior of the residence where the 50-year-old man was reportedly found unresponsive. He was declared dead at the scene.

The BEI has assigned seven investigators to investigate the circumstances of the death.  The BEI is not an independent agency, and the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) will also be involved in the investigation.

Person Dies in Moose Jaw Police Service Custody (Dec. 31, 2022)

A person died on December 31, 2022, in custody of the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS).

It is reported that the person stopped breathing after going into medical distress in the police detention centre shortly before 10 PM.

EMS was called and transported the person to hospital, where they were pronounced dead. MJPS has provided no other details at this time, including age or gender for the deceased.

The Saskatchewan Coroners Service, the province’s Serious Incident Response Team, and the Weyburn Police Service are investigating the death. Note that this is not an investigation that is independent of police.