A man who was fatally shot by Montreal police on Monday morning was brandishing a sharp weapon, according to the Surete du Quebec.
Montreal police were called to an apartment block on Ontario St. in Hochelaga Maisonneuve just after 8 a.m. for someone in psychological distress.
On Tuesday, the SQ confirmed that 63-year-old Andre Benjamin was tazed at least once and shot at least once.
While police have released no details on what happened between the time police and arrived and Benjamin being shot, neighbours have said it all happened very quickly. Some reported hearing police banging on Benjamin's door and seconds later, shots being fired.
Laurent Vigneault-Pinard, who lives in a nearby building, said he heard three shots in quick succession and shortly thereafter saw police, fire trucks and an ambulance arrive. Then, emergency personnel resuscitated the man and loaded him into the ambulance.
"I couldn't tell if he was dead or unconscious," said Vigneault-Pinard.
Benjamin was taken to hospital where he was declared dead hours later.
As is current protocol when someone is injured or killed during a police investigation, Public Security Minister Marin Coiteux transferred the investigation to the SQ around 10 a.m.
Vigneault-Pinard said he saw one officer sitting very quietly in a car after hearing the shots.
"A tall man, strong, with a beard and brown hair," he said. "He was simply sitting in a Dodge Caravan. There was another officer taking care of him, he didn't talk much at that point."
Mental health advocate Jean-Francois Plouffe said citizens who are in crisis and call the police should have confidence the police are there to help them, not hurt them.
In March, coroner Luc Malouin released his report into the 2014 shooting death of Alain Magloire, who was mentally ill. Malouin found Montreal police need more training in dealing with mental illness and more access to tasers.
