Quebec’s Bureau of Independent Investigators are raising the alarm over Montreal police, saying some officers aren’t following procedure after being involved in a shooting.
In August, 23-year-old Nicholas Gibbs was fatally shot by police in NDG, after allegedly threatening officers with a knife. Officers tried to subdue Gibbs with pepper spray and a taser, before firing five shots. Cell phone footage taken by a witness showed two of the shots were fired when Gibbs had his back turned.
On Tuesday, a lawyer representing Gibbs’ family released a letter from the director of the BEI to the Montreal police chief.
In the letter, Madeleine Giauque said officers should not be taking statements from witnesses and showing those statements to supervisors.
Quebec Public Security Minister Genevieve Guilbault said the BEI is doing what it’s supposed to do.
“What I saw is Giauque did her work,” she said. “She warned Montreal police that there are some practices that need to be respected and she gave a polite reminder to the SPVM. I’m confident they will respect what they’re supposed to be doing.”
The Gibbs family has sued the city for $1 million in damages, alleging the police used excessive force.
