MONTREAL – Highway 40 westbound was closed at the St. Michel Blvd. exit for several hours Tuesday as police dealt with the aftermath of an officer-involved shooting.
Montreal police say they were responding to a break and entry in Rosemont, and were given a description of the suspect and the car he was driving.
While they were en route to the location, they spotted the vehicle nearby. As they were trying to block the suspect’s car, he managed to manoeuvre in reverse and made his way onto the highway after running a few red lights.
"He definitely committed some traffic violations," said Montreal police Constable Anie Lemieux.
He was shot on the highway shortly after 4 p.m. It’s not clear at this point whether he was shot while still in his car, or while attempting to flee his vehicle.
"There was a lot of traffic," Lemieux said. "It slowed down his car drastically."
The suspect, in his 40s, was hit in the leg and is not seriously hurt. He was taken to a hospital, where he is expected to make a full recovery.
The investigation was handed over to the Sûreté du Québec later in the evening.
The provincial police say it’s likely that the suspect was also involved in an armed robbery that took place in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve earlier yesterday.
"But it’s not clear whether or not the suspect was armed at the time of the incident on Highway 40," said SQ Sgt. Gregory Gomez del Prado. "We don’t know at this time what prompted the officer to open fire on the suspect."
Highway 40 westbound was closed between Pie IX and St. Michel Blvds. during rush hour, which caused multiple traffic jams in the area. In addition, a set of traffic lights stopped functioning on the St. Michel exit off eastbound Highway 40, and there was a traffic accident on the service road of the westbound 40 near where the incident occurred.
Traffic was delayed for several hours. The highway reopened late in the evening.
Police are asking for anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them at 1-800-659-4264.
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