Quebec’s Bureau of independent investigations (BEI) has dispatched a team of 10 investigators to Montreal after police shot a 26-year-old man early Saturday morning, critically injuring him.
According to preliminary reports, a fight broke out near René-Lévesque Boulevard East and de Bullion Street in downtown Montreal, as bars were letting out at 3 a.m. ET.
Officers called to the scene saw a man carrying what appeared to be a firearm.
The officers gave chase and that’s when the suspect, who was running ahead, allegedly turned around and fired in their direction.
The officers responded by firing back.
According to the BEI, the man was hit with at least one bullet and rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The BEI must now ascertain the veracity of those preliminary reports and has enlisted the help of two Sûreté du Québec technicians to assist in the investigation.
René-Lévesque Boulevard East was closed for several hours, between St-Dominic and Ste-Elisabeth streets, for the investigation.
The BEI is asking anyone who witnessed the incident to contact the bureau at www.bei.gouv.qc.ca.