Quebec provincial police officer arrested by Montreal police

MONTREAL – A Quebec provincial police officer has been suspended following his reported arrest by Montreal police.

Surete du Quebec (SQ) spokesperson Sergeant Benoit Richard confirmed Wednesday that the constable had been suspended without pay.

Beaconsfield officials confirmed Wednesday afternoon that Montreal police had informed them of the arrest.

“The City of Beaconsfield was informed this morning by the SPVM of the arrest of those involved in the incidents with City staff and City Councillors,” it noted in a prepared statement.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“To allow for the proper investigation of this matter, the City will continue to cooperate with law enforcement authorities and will not issue comments on the file.”

The as-of-yet unconfirmed charges reportedly involve corruption and intimidation.

According to French Newspaper La Presse, the officer was arrested with three other men after an investigation conducted by Montreal police into a land deal in the city of Beaconsfield.

The property was apparently purchased by the suspended SQ officer in 2011 for $500,000, and then sold in August for nearly $1.4 million.

The officer was supposedly having some difficulties obtaining the necessary permits to build a luxurious home on the land.

The charges seem to revolve around a decisive city council meeting held in 2012, where councillors voted in favour of allowing a modification related to the property.

A few days before the meeting, Beaconsfield’s director of urban planning, Denis Chabot, was assaulted.

He was attacked by two men with baseball bats while at the Summerlea Golf Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion on on October 5, 2012.

Investigators noted at the time that the incident was being treated as a possible case of intimidation.