Montreal police officer stabbed in Côte-des-Neiges
A Montreal police officer suffered a "serious" injury after being stabbed Wednesday morning during a chase in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, according to a spokesperson for the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM).
Police say at around 11 a.m., officers noticed an "aggressive" man near the intersection of Westbury and Plamondon avenues.
The SPVM had already been alerted that a man had been seen taking photographs near a daycare in the area.
When two officers tried to stop the 27-year-old man, he ran. The officers gave chase and when they caught up, the SPVM says the man turned around and stabbed one of the officers in the abdomen.
The suspect, who police say has mental health issues, was arrested at the corner of Barclay and Victoria avenues near Plamondon Metro station and then questioned.
On Thursday, the suspect, appeared in a Montreal courtroom where he was charged with attempted murder.
He has also been charged with two counts of assault with a weapon, two counts of assaulting a peace officer with a weapon, and one count of carrying a weapon for dangerous purposes.
On Wednesday morning, police cars blocked the intersection of Westbury and Plamondon avenues as the SPVM investigators gathered evidence.
The injured officer, who has served on the force for two years, was sent to hospital but his injuries are not considered life-threatening. His partner was treated for shock.
While meeting with reporters at the scene Wednesday afternoon, SPVM chief Fady Dagher said the injured officer was recovering in the hospital with his mother and wife at his side.
Dagher said this incident is a sobering reminder to officers to remain "extremely vigilant" no matter the call as there is always the risk of a dangerous encounter.
Police cars block Westbury Avenue near the Rabbinical College of Canada and several Jewish congregations to investigate the stabbing of an SPVM officer. SPVM chief Fady Dagher says the attack was not antisemitic but rather due to mental health issues. (Simon-Marc Charron/Radio-Canada)
Speaking near the synagogue and rabbinical college on the corner, Dagher reassured the Jewish community that the attack was not antisemitic, but that suspect had mental health issues. He said that the suspect had recently been ordered to meet with a psychiatrist but the meeting never took place.
Dagher expressed a need for more training for dealing with people mental health issues. When asked if the stabbing would prompt a change in how police officers are deployed to certain calls, Dagher said the SPVM will not change how it allocates its resources.
This is the third attack on Montreal police officers in less than a week. On Tuesday, Dagher says, a person tried to stab a police officer near the corner of Jeanne-Mance and Ste-Catherine streets. On Saturday, an officer was hit by a fleeing vehicle in the borough of Anjou.
