Death of man in La Motte: no criminal charges against the police

A Sûreté du Québec vehicle. (Archival photo)

Police officers who intervened with a man who took his own life in La Motte last summer will not face criminal charges.

C This was announced Thursday by the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP), after examining the report of the Bureau of Independent Investigations of Quebec.

The facts date back to August 20 2022. Police officers from the MRC Abitibi police station of the Sûreté du Québec were called around 5 p.m. by a woman whose ex-spouse was in crisis at home following their breakup.

She explains to them that the man is suicidal, that he is in a building on land that belongs to him and that he is armed with a .12 caliber rifle. The police also learn that earlier in the day, the man pointed his gun in the direction of a friend who was trying to reason with him, before shooting in the air.

Four policemen then went to the scene. Their field of vision is limited, obstructed by buildings, vehicles and objects on the property, but they manage to locate him outside. An officer then calls him over, asking him to show his hands and drop his gun.

The officers had no further interaction with the 49-year-old man. They then heard a detonation, then pronounced his death.

The investigation in this case was led by five members of the Bureau of Independent Investigations of Quebec. A full review of the evidence by a criminal and penal prosecuting attorney revealed no criminal offence. She met with the victim's relatives to inform them of the reasons for her decision.

The Office of Independent Investigations intervenes whenever a person dies or suffers serious injuries or injuries caused by a firearm used by a police officer, as part of a police intervention.