Quebec’s independent police watchdog is investigating after a 29-year-old man died during a Montreal police (SPVM) intervention.
The Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI) says multiple SPVM constables arrested the man for shoplifting at around 2:30 p.m on July 30, the bureau said in a statement in French on its website.
After the arrest, the man was reportedly accompanied to his home to provide identification to police.
Police told the BEI the man said his ID was in a bag on his 14th-floor apartment balcony. After stepping onto the balcony to retrieve his ID, police say he “(threw) himself into the void.”
The BEI says the man’s death was pronounced on the scene. The investigation will focus on verifying whether the information provided by the SPVM is correct.
Six investigators will handle the case for the BEI.