Quebec security minister Guy Jr. Lapointe ordered independent inquiries into a Montreal police officer on Monday after internal SPVM reports alleged the officer filmed himself urinating on unhoused people over a year while on duty in downtown Montreal.
Quebec Orders Independent Inquiries Into Station 21 Officer
Quebec’s ministry of domestic security launched two separate inquiries into the conduct of a Montreal police officer assigned to downtown Station 21. Domestic Security Minister Guy Jr. Lapointe stated that the investigations were ordered after the Montreal police chief informed the ministry of a criminal allegation against a police officer. Both the province’s independent police watchdog, the BEI, and the police ethics commissioner will handle the probes.
The officer in question has been suspended with pay since mid-August following an internal investigation by the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal. According to Radio-Canada sources cited by CBC, the officer allegedly filmed himself over the course of more than a year while on duty, humiliating unhoused people to the point of urinating on them while they slept in the street. A second officer from the same downtown station was also suspended for alleged acts of humiliation directed at racialized people, though that officer is not subject to the independent inquiries mandated by the province.
conducted independently and will shed light on this situation.
Guy Jr. Lapointe, Quebec Minister of Domestic Security, via CBC
Lapointe emphasized that his intervention is not a vote of non-confidence toward the Montreal police, explaining instead that an external body is required to preserve public trust. Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada expressed immediate support for the provincial decision. In a statement posted to social media, she wrote that citizens have a right to answers and that accountability sits at the heart of the process.
Protesters Gather at Station 21 Amid Growing Anger
The revelations have triggered intense public backlash in Montreal. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in front of SPVM Station 21 to voice outrage, renewing demands to defund the police over abuses of power. Tensions escalated as police used tear gas and pepper spray to control the crowd throughout the protest.
Montreal police spokesperson Johany Charland confirmed that four people were arrested on Saturday afternoon, with three detained for allegedly assaulting officers and another for obstruction. Charland added that a 66-year-old bystander suffered a minor upper-body injury after being struck by an unknown object.
Police everywhere, justice nowhere.
Protesters, via CityNews Montreal
The latest disciplinary crisis follows other misconduct cases within the SPVM, including the dismantling of a 16-member night patrol unit in a multicultural neighbourhood less than six months ago over alleged racist misconduct. Alexandre Popovic, a spokesperson for an anti-police brutality group, questioned why criminal charges have not yet been filed despite reported video evidence.
Community members and activists voiced deep frustration at the demonstrations. Wawa Li, a Chinatown resident, told the gathered crowd that discrimination and violence have long plagued the city. From my street, we hear accounts of community members sharing experiences of being profiled, having their tents demolished by police, rooming house doors being broken down in police operations and now being urinated on,
Li said.
Broader Discontent and Systematic Concerns Raised by Experts
Everyone who is here understands that the problem isn’t a few police officers, it’s a systematic issue that’s been repeating itself for decades.
Ted Rutland, via CityNews Montreal