A 28-year-old man is recovering in hospital after he was shot by Montreal police officers Sunday night.
The incident occurred at 11:30 p.m. after police were called to a group home at 661 44th Ave. in Lasalle, where the man has gone missing.
When officers arrived, the man apparently charged at them while holding a knife, said the Surete du Quebec, who is now investigating the incident.
Police fired at least once and hit the man in the leg. He was taken to hospital, where he underwent surgery for the injury.
"He was very aggressive. He had a knife with him and might have tried to stab the police officer," said Surete du Quebec officer Christine Coulombe.
"The police officer tried to speak with him and calm him, but he stayed very aggressive so the police officer had to shoot."
The officers, who apparently feared for their lives, were treated for shock. It's not known if they were taken to hospital.
Police say the shooting victim may be mentally ill. The residence is a group home under the supervision of the Douglas Institute.
The Douglas Hospital, which treats mentally ill patients, said this is a really unusual case for a number of reasons.
Firstly, they say staff work very closely with community police and say they rely on them for help in order to allow patients to live more independently.
Also, those who live in a group home must be more medically stable, said Helene Racine, director of nursing at the Douglas Institute.
“When we do put these patients in group homes, it's much more that they're at risk for themselves than they're at risk for others,” she explained.
Racine said residents living with mental illness are closely monitored. It is an isolated event, she said.
“I think it's an unfortunate event that is not reflective of everyday impact that our police department and our (intervention workers) have on people,” she said.
Surete du Quebec will determine if the shooting was justified or if the officers will face reprimands.
