Family of man who died after Montreal police intervention calls for public coroner's inquiry

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 23, 2025 7:45 PM EDT | Last Updated: 44 minutes ago

WARNING: This communicative contains descriptions and video of constabulary utilizing unit against an individual.

The household of Abisay Cruz, a 29-year-old Montreal antheral who died aft a constabulary involution turned violent, is speaking retired and demanding a nationalist coroner's inquiry.

"He was successful situation and needed help," said Josué Cruz, the victim's brother.

"Instead of receiving enactment and protection, helium was violently assaulted, handcuffed and abused by 4 constabulary officers. His decease is wholly unjustifiable and unacceptable." 

Quebec's constabulary watchdog, the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI), said Montreal constabulary responded to a 911 telephone connected March 30 astir a idiosyncratic successful crisis.

Officers arrived a fewer minutes later, and an altercation occurred betwixt them and a antheral astatine the country and officers yet restrained him. 

The BEI said the man, who was aboriginal identified arsenic Cruz, suffered "malaise," mislaid consciousness and died aboriginal successful hospital. He was fixed first-aid and transported to infirmary wherever helium was declared dead.

Family members, galore of whom were astatine the country that day, accidental there's much to the story. According to the family, paramedics were not allowed wrong the flat and were lone capable to dainty Cruz erstwhile constabulary had moved him extracurricular of the building.

They are besides questioning if his contention played a relation successful however helium was treated during the involution and afterwards.

Family releases caller video of incident

The family released caller video footage of the incidental connected Wednesday. CBC News watched the videos, which, successful total, run almost 3 minutes.

The videos show two officers restraining Cruz connected the backmost balcony of the flat wherever helium lived with his parent successful Saint-Michel.

Cruz is look down connected his tummy and the officers are kneeling. It's not wide if they're kneeling connected oregon beside him.

At 1 point, Cruz's legs look to beryllium thrashing against the balcony. He's intelligibly successful distress. At a definite moment, Cruz tin beryllium heard yelling, "Je vais mourir," which translates to, "I'm going to die."

Another video from a antithetic space shared connected societal media picks up events a small later. In this video, Cruz tin beryllium seen struggling portion an serviceman is intelligibly kneeling connected his back.

WATCH | Family provides video of constabulary involution wherever Cruz heard yelling, 'I'm going to die': 

The household says the videos rise galore questions. Fo Niemi, caput of the section advocacy group, Center for Research-Action connected Race Relations (CRARR), agrees. 

"The question is wherefore specified excessive unit erstwhile the argumentation directive was toward de-escalation, particularly with someone who was successful a disposable authorities of distress, evidently successful request of intelligence wellness support," said Niemi.

Calls for calm, support 

Earlier this month, a assemblage of radical made their distrust of Montreal's constabulary work known arsenic they marched toward the Saint-Michel constabulary post, conscionable a fewer blocks southbound of wherever Cruz died. 

It was the 2nd decease pursuing a constabulary cognition successful little than 12 hours that weekend. The BEI launched investigations into some cases.

"The residents of this neighbourhood are anxious," said assemblage organizer Stéphanie Germain at the commencement of the march. 

Members of Cruz's household stood astatine a region down her, opting not to talk owed to the ongoing BEI investigation.

Some radical wore balaclavas and achromatic hoodies with a representation of Cruz smiling and holding a barroom connected his 29th birthday, which helium celebrated little than 2 weeks earlier helium died. 

"We were told things would get better, but contiguous we're afraid," Germain said. "Unfortunately, contiguous we inquire ourselves what is the relation of constabulary if not to protect."

Protesters continued to march past the constabulary subdivision earlier turning backmost and gathering successful beforehand of the residence wherever the involution took place. During the march, protesters threw pyrotechnics into the aerial astatine assorted points.

Police said they arrested six radical — 4 for equipped battle against an serviceman and 2 for battle besides against an officer. She said nobody was injured.

Montreal constabulary person since called for calm. Cruz's household is besides asking radical not to protest, but alternatively to enactment their calls for a nationalist coroner's inquiry.

The coroner's bureau told CBC News they're inactive investigating and not ruling retired holding a nationalist inquiry.