Repentigny police exasperated at being called murderers, union demands support

MONTREAL -

Exasperated with being called murderers following the shooting death of a Black man in early August, Repentigny police officers are demanding the support of elected officials and the population, through their union.

"Enough is enough! To use the term murder to describe this intervention is unacceptable," said union president Francois Lemay. "Where are our decision-makers who support their police officers and their actions?"

In a news release sent Tuesday, the Fédération des policiers et policières municipaux du Québec leader explained that his organization understands that the family of the deceased is going through painful moments, but at the same time that police officers must ensure the safety of all.

"And that if a person, racialized or not, becomes threatening or dangerous to others, the police must intervene to secure the scene," he said.

The mother of the man who was shot announced in late September that she will file a systemic racism complaint with the Human Rights Commission and a police ethics complaint against the officers involved.

At a news conference, Mireille Bence criticized the Repentigny Police Department and the Quebec police watchdog (BEI) for a lack of communication and transparency.

"I would like to know: why my son was murdered with three bullets in his stomach," she said.

The BEI reported at the time that police responded to a call about "a confused and disoriented person, armed with a knife," who was allegedly threatening the officers. According to the police, after attempting to reason with the man, the officers fired several shots in his direction and fatally wounded him.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 5, 2021.