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
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to squash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Trudeau Liberals to unveil new bill Monday aimed at countering foreign interference
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be tabling legislation on Monday aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Federal officials have scheduled a technical briefing on the incoming bill for Monday afternoon.
Human remains were found at a former Hitler base, but decay prevents determining the cause of death
Polish prosecutors have discontinued an investigation into human skeletons found at a site where German dictator Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders spent time during the Second World War because the advanced state of decay made it impossible to determine the cause of death, a spokesman said Monday.