MONTREAL - A 27-year-old man was fatally shot early Sunday morning as they sought to nab home invasion suspects in Beaconsfield.
Patrick Saulnier, who is from Longueuil, was shot after police say he and another man broke into a home on Windermere Rd. at about 3:45 a.m. and then fled the scene in a silver Mercedes hatchback.
The occupants of the silver Mercedes headed north on Windermere where they crashed into another vehicle, lodging their car into a snow bank.
The suspects then fled on foot toward Highway 40.
Meantime, residents inside the home called 9-1-1. Police soon traced two suspects, who were on foot at Montrose Dr. near Ste. Marie Rd., said Surete du Quebec officers.
An altercation with police occurred, at which point one of the suspects was shot.
The Surete du Quebec has taken over the investigation, which is customary when an injury or fatality occurs during a Montreal police operation.
SQ officers were at the scene Sunday to determine how the shooting unfolded and why it occurred.
"It's not quite determined what had transpired, however they had abandoned their vehicle," said SQ spokesperson Daniel Thibodeau.
"So officers from Montreal police force intervened, they found one suspect and what we know for the moment is that shots were fired. One suspect was hit and he has since died of his injuries in hospital," said Thibodeau.
The second man was arrested and was interrogated by police.
The Surete du Quebec would not release any details about the suspects' identities.
Neighbour Ingrid Gellis said she was rattled by the incident on the usually quiet suburban street.
"It's really upsetting for everybody, the people it happened to. We don't know the circumstances," said Gellis.
No one inside the home was injured.
