Police watchdog investigates after man shot following Gatineau hostage situation

Quebec's police watchdog is investigating after a 37-year-old man was shot in Gatineau, Que., on Friday following a police chase that ended with a passenger allegedly being held hostage.

The Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI) said in a news release that according to preliminary information from the Gatineau Police Service, the incident began around 3 p.m., when police started pursuing a fleeing vehicle.

The driver allegedly drove through a red light, at which point the officers abandoned the chase, the BEI said. The vehicle later crashed, and when officers arrived on the scene, the driver was allegedly armed with a knife and holding a passenger hostage.

That's when police fired their guns and shot the man, the BEI said.

The driver was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries, the BEI said, while condition of the passenger was unknown.

The BEI's investigation will determine whether the information provided by Gatineau police is correct, the agency said in its news release.

Eight BEI investigators are assigned to this case, and the agency has also asked provincial police to help reconstruct the scene.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the BEI.