MONTREAL,Aug. 4, 2024 – A family is suing the Montreal police service for nearly $6.5 million, alleging negligence and recklessness during an armed intervention on August 4, 2024. The Abdallah family claims they were caught in the line of fire while returning from camping and unloading their car.
Family Criticizes Police after Shootout
The legal action centers on an incident where police pursued a suspect. The suspect, demanding car keys from a neighbor, then turned his attention to Houssam Abdallah, the father of the family.
Houssam Abdallah instructed his children, Jana and Abdel-Rahman, to seek shelter inside their home.However,before they could reach safety,gunfire erupted. The suspect fired his weapon, demanding the car keys. Abdallah responded that the keys were in the car and attempted to retreat. The suspect then fired shots away from the Abdallah family, and the SPVM, the police service, returned fire.
During the exchange,Abdel-Rahman Abdallah was struck by a projectile near his spine. his father, Houssam Abdallah, shielded his children, absorbing six bullets in the process.
“when I saw a ball reaching my son, the decision to throw myself to protect my children was simple. An instinct, an act that I will do without hesitation despite the suffering that followed,” Abdallah stated.
Allegations of Mistreatment and Trauma
The family’s lawsuit claims that both Houssam Abdallah and his son Abdel-Rahman were handcuffed and detained despite their injuries, with no regard for their wounds. The incident has left other family members seriously traumatized, according to the legal filing.
An independent investigation into the police’s actions that day found no grounds for charges against SPVM officers, according to the director of criminal and penal prosecutions.
The family maintains that the police’s alleged negligence and recklessness led to their damages. They assert that officers failed to take basic safety measures,continuing an open fire operation in a residential area with civilians present. The arrest and detention of the father and son are also being challenged.
The requested compensation covers serious physical injuries for Houssam and Abdel-Rahman, psychological damages for witnesses, lost income for those unable to work due to injury or trauma, and punitive damages.
Why did this happen? The incident began when police were pursuing a suspect who initially demanded car keys from a neighbor before turning to the Abdallah family.The suspect opened fire, prompting a response from both the suspect and the SPVM.Who was involved? The Abdallah family – Houssam, Jana, and abdel-Rahman – were the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. The suspect, whose name has not been widely released, initiated the gunfire. The SPVM officers were involved in the exchange of fire.
How did it end? The suspect was apprehended by police following the shootout. While the Abdallah family sustained injuries, no fatalities were reported. The SPVM conducted an internal investigation, which did not result in charges against the officers involved, though the family is pursuing civil action. The case is ongoing as of August 4, 2024.
