Quebec City police probing third video of violent altercation; same officers repeatedly involved
Quebec City police said one of its officers who was suspended after two videos circulated on social media showing violent altercations is now implicated in a third video that has surfaced online.
The actions of the officer in the new video are now part of an “ongoing internal investigation,” a spokesperson for the SPVQ told CTV News.
The officer has not been identified.
The Quebec City police service is in the spotlight this week after it announced five officers were suspended following video footage of a violent takedown of Black youth outside the Dagobert bar circulated online.
The next day, a second video appeared online showing officers punching and jamming their knees into a white man’s back at a restaurant, while he lies face-down in broken glass.
The victim, Jean-Philippe St-Laurent, shared photos of his bloodied sweater and cuts on his face after the altercation, saying his nose was broken and he had a concussion.
Quebec’s public safety minister, Geneviève Guilbault, has ordered a police ethics investigation into both incidents.
It then became clear that a single squad, and in fact some of the same officers, appeared in both videos. When police announced that five of the officers involved in the first video had been suspended, it added that three of them were involved in both violent altercations.
Shortly after, an even longer pattern seemed to emerge.
On Wednesday afternoon, La Presse published a video showing a third violent altercation involving Quebec City police, though it appeared the video was recorded weeks ago.
The officer, which police confirmed is involved in at least the first video of the takedown of Black youth, can be heard saying, “Do you want me to tear gas you?” while swearing at him just before he forcefully shoves him back into a police cruiser.
Police have not released any other details of the third video that is being investigated and said they could not confirm whether or not the officer in that video was involved in all three altercations.
In a news conference in Quebec City, Mayor Bruno Marchand said he has confidence in the city's chief of police, Denis Turcotte.
“The images are shocking and troubling, the investigation is underway and I’m reassured by the investigation,” he said, adding that “we can’t put all our police in the same baskets.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.