Police watchdog to investigate Quebec City officer linked to two violent arrests
Quebec City police (SPVQ) said Monday there are reasonable grounds to believe a police officer has committed a crime in two incidents following a series of videos in recent days showing violent altercations with the public.
The two incidents were referred to Quebec’s public safety ministry. Citing the “exceptional nature of the events” and an agreement with the province, the SPVQ agreed to also refer the cases to the police watchdog, the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI).
The BEI says the two incidents that it will now analyze took place on Nov. 20 in the city's Grande-Allée and Chevrotière sector and on Oct. 17 inside a "licensed establishment" on St-Joseph Street. Investigators' jobs will be to determine the circumstances of the two incidents and help Quebec's public prosecution office, the DPCP, determine if charges should be laid.
Public Safety Minister Geneviève Guilbault said Monday that her department mandated that the BEI get involved.
She also confirmed that the two incidents being investigated for possible criminality are the third and fourth video that surfaced last week.
In the third video, posted to Instagram, an officer is allegedly seen dispersing a crowd outside a bar appearing to hold a tear gas device. The officer can be heard saying to a man, “Do you want me to tear gas you?” while swearing at him just before he forcefully shoves him back into a police cruiser.
The fourth video was taken from surveillance footage inside a bar where officers were enforcing the vaccine passport. In the video, published by Le Journal, an officer can allegedly be seen throwing a man into a hallway, causing him to hit a wall head first and split open the skin.
The man was reportedly there to celebrate a birthday, according to his spouse.
The BEI said witnesses of both events can contact them by emailing bei_allegations@bei.gouv.qc.ca.
"My responsibility is to ensure that a strong bond of trust is maintained between our citizens and our police officers. The Service de police de la Ville de Québec has conducted its internal investigation in a diligent manner, which has led it to make allegations to me regarding possible criminal offences," Guilbault was quoted as saying in a news release from the province on Monday. "I am therefore requesting that the Independent Investigation Bureau review these allegations as provided for in the Police Act. I salute the speed and thoroughness with which the SPVQ acted in this case."
She told reporters Monday that she also mandated that the Police Ethics Comissioner investigate the actions mof police officers seen in the first and second videos that came out last week, which are still being probed by an internal SPVQ investigation.
All four videos appear to show the same police squad, known as GRIPP, which is tasked with patrolling bars and restaurants and enforcing public health measures related to COVID-19.
Last Tuesday, the SPVQ announced that five officers had been suspended, with pay, following the publication of the first video of a violent takedown of two Black youth outside the Dagobert bar. Of those five officers, three were said to be involved in a second incident at the Portofino restaurant.
The second video, captured by someone inside the Italian restaurant, allegedly showed officers kneeling on and punching 29-year-old Jean-Philippe St-Laurent on the floor on top of broken glass. He suffered a broken nose and a concussion.
It was later revealed that the same officer was involved in at least three of the videos published last week.
At a press conference last Thursday, Police Chief Denis Turcotte didn't say if the same officer was also implicated in the fourth video under investigation, but said, "We will get to the bottom of this."
LISTEN ON CJAD 800 RADIO: What is wrong with Quebec City's police force? Alexane Drolet, Reporter at Noovo Info
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.