There was a demonstration downtown Thursday for a man who was shot and killed by Montreal police in 2005.
The family of Mohamed Anas Benis is upset that the Montreal police brotherhood is trying to stop a coroner's inquest into the shooting.
Benis, 25, was leaving a mosque just prior to his death on Dec. 1, 2005. At the same time, Montreal police and the SQ were conducting a joint drug operation in the Cote-des-neiges neighbourhood.
From that point forward, the exact facts are unclear.
Police claim Benis tried to attack an officer with a knife during the police operation but his family disputes the claim, saying Benis was a peaceful man.
As per Quebec law, an outside police force was called in to investigate - in this case it was Quebec City police. The Crown ultimately decided not to press charges against any officers. The report into the shooting still has not been made public.
Call for answers
The Benis family says they still have no solid answers as to what happened, and they have waged a public campaign for a full public inquiry. The coroner's inquest is on hold for now while the police union's legal motion makes its way through the system.
Critics say the Benis case is just one of several examples that highlight the need for reforms to police oversight rules in Quebec.
