Police opened fire on a suspect armed with two knives in the middle of the street for allegedly assaulting two women in the Sainte-Foy neighborhood of Quebec City Monday night.
The dramatic scene took place before 6 p.m. on Chemin Sainte-Foy at the intersection of Avenue Chevremont.
Photo Dominique Lelievre
The comment-sparing Service de Police de la Ville de Quebec (SPVQ) confirmed a woman was stabbed and a suspect was pulled to safety.
According to previous knowledge, another woman was also injured.
At the time of writing, it was unclear whether the victims’ lives were being feared.
Photo agency QMI, Marc Vallières
The police did not want to confirm the existence of a connection between these three people or their health. They were taken to the hospital, spokeswoman Sandra Dion said.
One of the women is said to be in her mid-twenties.
High risk intervention
A local resident who lives nearby and who trusted the Journal recounted the traumatic scene of the arrest.
It all started with a “death scream,” says Marie-Claude Matte, who then approached her patio door.
“The first thing I saw was a man cursing. There was a police car [et] two seconds later it must have been fifteen.”
In a video she shot, the suspect can be seen walking down the street in a beige coat and blue jeans, apparently holding two long knives and looking excited. He would be in his early thirties.
The police repeatedly asked him to lie on the ground, but he did not comply.
“I clearly saw the man who had two knives in his hands and then a corpse lying further,” specifies the still trembling citizen.
two shots
A few moments later, the suspect approaches the police, who surround him. We hear an officer yell “Don’t come any closer!” twice, then two detonations.
The person then collapses, gets up with difficulty and misery and loses his balance again, then five police officers rush over to check him.
Photo Agency QMI, Marc Vallières
“I saw the man really scream, the police did a really good job because they shot the suspect twice,” says the witness, who specifies that the area is usually “quiet”.
“A policeman immediately packed up the two knives.”
Photo agency QMI, Marc Vallières
According to our information, the event may have started in an apartment building before continuing on the street.
In all likelihood, the Office of Independent Investigations will investigate the circumstances of the police operation.
In this section of the Chemin Sainte-Foy, traffic was stopped for a long time. A large security perimeter was set up.
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