A 48-year-old man was severely injured while in police custody at the St-Leonard detention centre in Montreal on Monday, the Bureau of Independent Investigations (BEI) reported on Tuesday.
At around 8 p.m., Montreal police reportedly arrested the man following an alleged assault with a gun involving a passerby. The suspect was later brought to the detention centre in St-Leonard, according to the police watchdog.
A few hours later, at around 10:40 p.m., officers noticed the man “hitting his head against the walls, inflicting lacerations,” according to the BEI’s press release. This reportedly caused him to bleed profusely.
READ MORE: Vaudreuil man, 39, dies after altercation at residence: police
According to information obtained by the BEI, Montreal police followed up with an intervention in which they unsuccessfully used a stun gun from outside the detention cell in an attempt to subdue him.
The man was reportedly later transported to the hospital. Authorities don’t fear for his life.
The BEI called on the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) to act as a support police force in the investigation, which is still underway.
The SQ will provide a forensic identification technician, who will work under the supervision of BEI investigators, according to the press release.