An exchange of gunfire involving the police injured three people, two of them seriously, in Montreal’s West Island, on Sunday evening.
Around 8 p.m., someone called 911 to report a conflict that may have involved at least one gun, according to the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM).
A spokesperson for the SPVM said officers rushed to the scene, near the corner of de Salaberry Boulevard and Davignon Street, in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, and “took action against the suspect.”
The police provided no further detail because the investigation into the incident had been transferred into the hands of Quebec’s police watchdog, the BEI.
Sources told Radio-Canada that when police arrived, a suspect tried to steal a vehicle to flee. He then fired toward the police, sparking a violent exchange of gunfire.
Between 30 and 40 shots were fired, hitting the suspect and two other people.
Ahmed Ali, who lives nearby, said he initially heard a several shots and worried about stray bullets entering his home. He said after the shots, police swarmed the area.
“It’s very alarming,” he said.
The BEI, which investigates instances involving police where people are injured or killed, said in a Monday media release that the initial 911 call came from someone who witnessed a dispute at her home. She told the authorities she heard gunshots.
While the 911 operator dispatched the police, the suspect left the person’s home and tried to steal a vehicle to flee the scene.
The suspect threatened the driver of a nearby car with a gun, but that person fled. The suspect then approached another vehicle, with three people nearby, when the police arrived.
That’s when the officers and the suspect exchanged gunfire, firing off dozens of rounds. According to Radio-Canada sources, between 30 and 40 shots were fired.
The suspect was shot, as were two of the bystanders. Initially, the police said the suspect and one of the bystanders were in critical condition, but as of midday on Monday, they expected both of them to survive.
The BEI said it had assigned seven investigators to the case — an unusually large number. The BEI began its investigation at 10:45 p.m. on Sunday.
Quebec provincial police are investigating the events that occurred before the police shooting.