Montreal police officer Or was cleared by forensic pathologists of firing on 68-year-old Michel Mizrahi during a deadly June 22 shootout in the Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood. Autopsy results showed a left-to-right impact inconsistent with her positioning, refuting social media allegations that she mistakenly shot the civilian.
Weeks of intense public scrutiny and severe online harassment have culminated in a major forensic turning point for a Montreal police officer who responded to a deadly daytime shooting in the city’s Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood. The officer, who had only 15 months of service, faced widespread accusations on social media after circulating videos captured her pointing her service weapon near a civilian who suddenly appeared during the firefight.
Those viral videos sparked a wave of public condemnation and death threats while the officer was in critical condition in hospital undergoing multiple surgeries. Montreal police Chief Fady Dagher later spoke out about the immense toll the public backlash took on the injured officer.
“Getting shot at, suffering serious injuries, falling into a coma and to be judged in the court of public opinion as though she’s the one who shot [Mizrahi] … I find that totally unfair.”
Chief Fady Dagher, Montreal police
Autopsy Results and Forensic Analysis Disprove Civilian Shooting Theory
The narrative surrounding the incident shifted significantly following findings from the Laboratoire de sciences judiciaires et de médecine légale. An analysis of the fatal shot that struck 68-year-old Michel Mizrahi revealed a left-to-right trajectory rather than an upward angle from underneath. That directional impact ruled out the officer’s positioning, confirming that her firearm did not cause the civilian’s death.
According to investigative details ca.news.yahoo.com, Mizrahi was hit by at least two projectiles fired by the gunman, Seth Scott Hatfield, including the fatal bullet to the head. Investigators from the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes, the Sûreté du Québec, and the coroner’s office are continuing their joint inquiries into the exchange, during which witnesses reported hearing roughly forty gunshots.
The Timeline of the Côte-des-Neiges Shootout
The sequence of violence began around 11:30 a.m. on June 22 after emergency services received reports of an armed individual at a Hilton hotel on Décarie Boulevard. The 25-year-old suspect, originally from Lethbridge, Alberta, had driven 3,400 kilometres to target administrative staff at the pornographic media giant Pornhub, whose offices sit directly across a pathway from the hotel.
Hatfield used an SKS rifle to fire through the windows of the office building before leaving his hotel room to confront responding officers. The first patrol unit to arrive consisted of Const. Mohamed Lamine Benredouane and his co-worker. The gunman ambushed and killed Benredouane before advancing toward the surviving officer, shooting her in the arm and abdomen.
Moments later, as Hatfield stopped to reload his rifle, a supervising officer, Sgt. Xavier Gaumond, arrived as reinforcement and shot the gunman dead. The rapid intervention of the initial patrol duo is credited by police with potentially averting a much larger tragedy.
Community Fallout and Ongoing Investigations
The exoneration of the officer brings official clarity to an event heavily distorted by unverified social media footage. Retired detective-sergeant and former firearms instructor André Gélinas emphasized the dangers of rushing to judgment based on fragmented visual evidence.
« Les vidéos peuvent souvent être trompeuses, dépendamment de l’angle ou de la perspective. Cette affaire démontre parfaitement qu’avant de sauter aux conclusions, il faut attendre la fin de l’enquête et de l’analyse de la scène de crime, de l’autopsie et des différentes expertises, notamment balistiques, et de l’examen des blessures »
André Gélinas, sergent-détective retraité et ancien instructeur de tir du SPVM
As the Sûreté du Québec, the independent police watchdog, and the coroner maintain their respective investigations, the Montreal police department continues to process the profound community impact of the day. A major memorial ceremony honoring the bravery of the fallen patrolman, Const. Mohamed Lamine Benredouane, drew 5,000 police personnel from across Canada and the United States to the Centre Bell in early July.
Worth a look
