Saskatoon police acted with 'utmost professionalism' during Raymond Montgrand arrest, restaurant manager says

WARNING: This story contains details and imagery some readers may find distressing.

Things might have gone very differently had Saskatoon police officers not subdued Raymond Montgrand on the night he burst into a restaurant and threatened to shoot himself and officers, Courtney Cannon says.

Cannon was the manager on duty at Picaro Cocktails & Tacos on June 23 when Montgrand, 51, ran into the business while fleeing police and was subsequently Tasered in the back alley, she says.

Montgrand remains in hospital three weeks after the altercation.

According to his son Ryan Ratt, Montgrand suffered a brain injury that required surgeons to remove some of his skull and may effect his future motor functions.

Ratt wants to know if officers used other types of force that might account for his father's injuries, which also included a black eye and bruises on his head, he said.

In an email, Cannon offered her account of what she and staff saw. She declined to be interviewed.

"I'm confident the police acted with the utmost professionalism and did their best to mitigate a situation which could have had a drastically different ending," she said.

While officers did turn Montgrand onto his stomach and handcuff him after he was Tasered, there was no excessive force used, such as punching or shoving him, Cannon said.

"Once he was handcuffed, he was taken to the ambulance and that was the end of the incident."

Staff took cover for protection: manager

The Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) has declined to comment on the incident while it's being investigated by the Regina Police Service.

According to an earlier statement issued by SPS, officers were looking for a man wanted on warrants who was wearing a black and white shirt and riding a bicycle.

A few minutes later, officers spotted Montgrand, who they said matched the description. Montgrand was not the person they were looking for, though he too had outstanding warrants.

Montgrand refused to stop, according to police.

Cannon said Montgrand jumped curbs and went across traffic in the wrong direction near the corner of Idylwyld Drive and 20th Street W. before he abandoned his bike in the middle of the street and ran into Picaro's front entrance.

As police set up a perimeter, one officer followed Montgrand into the restaurant's kitchen, she said.

Montgrand threatened to shoot himself in the head if the officer kept pursuing him, Cannon said.

Several staff members heard Montgrand threaten to use a gun and saw the officer draw his weapon, she said.

"Our staff all took cover as soon as [Montgrand] yelled that," she said.

Montgrand went out a back door and encountered more officers outside, according to Cannon and the police release.

"He proceeded to walk backwards away from the police officers, trying to exit down the alley [and] threatening to shoot them," Cannon said.

Montgrand did not follow orders to show his hands, Cannon said.

While restaurant staff did not see Montgrand with a gun, he appeared to be concealing something throughout the incident, she said.

"He appeared to be holding something in his shorts from the start of what we witnessed. When he dropped his bike, he made sure to hold onto whatever it was or whatever he was alluding to have under his shorts. This continued until he was Tasered and subdued."

The police release did not indicate whether any weapon was found on Montgrand.

Police used a stun gun on him as he fled and he fell to the ground, head first, Cannon said.

"The police turned him onto his stomach and applied handcuffs. There were four police required to fully subdue him," she said.

"He never once offered his second hand until [he was detained]."

Officers placed Montgrand in the ambulance and took him to the hospital, where he remains.

Incident under review

Montgrand's son Ratt has asked eyewitnesses or anyone with video footage to come forward. He could not be reached for comment about Cannon's account.

Saskatoon Police said Regina police's investigation will include a review of in-car camera video.

Cannon said parts of the incident were captured on the business's security cameras and the video was given to police.

"To protect the privacy of our staff, we will not be releasing the video to the media," she said.

Staff sought the help of a traumatologist after the incident, Cannon said.

SPS's use-of-force committee is reviewing officers' actions, while the provincial Ministry of Justice has appointed two observers to monitor Regina Police's investigation.

Montgrand is from the Clearwater River Dene Nation in Saskatchewan's far northwest region. In keeping with changes made last year to the province's Police Act, two observers, including one Indigenous person, are now tapped by the ministry to monitor investigations involving death or serious injury if the incident involved someone who is First Nation or Métis.

In the case of Montgrand's arrest, an Indigenous investigation observer was not available at the time the observers were requested, a ministry spokesperson said.

If you're experiencing suicidal thoughts or having a mental health crisis, help is available.

For an emergency or crisis situation, call 911.

You can also contact the Saskatchewan suicide prevention line toll-free, 24/7 by calling 1-833-456-4566, texting 45645, or chatting online.

You can contact the Regina mobile crisis services suicide line at 306-525-5333 or Saskatoon mobile crisis line at 306-933-6200.

You can also text CONNECT to 686868 and get immediate support from a crisis responder through the Crisis Text Line, powered by Kids Help Phone.

Kids Help Phone can also be reached at 1-800-668-6868, or you can access live chat counselling at www.kidshelpphone.ca.