Family of Montreal man who died after police altercation sees similarities to George Floyd

WARNING: This communicative contains graphic video and audio captured during convulsive constabulary interventions.

In a backmost alley snuggled betwixt rows of flat buildings successful northeast Montreal, a radical of household members are huddled for a vigil and a prayer. 

"Justice for the beingness of Abisay," said a woman, with her hands raised and eyes closed during a supplication successful Spanish, referring to Abisay Cruz, a comparative of hers who died connected March 30 aft an involution by Montreal constabulary turned violent.

Two floors up from a occurrence flight conscionable steps away, Cruz's grieving mother, Marcelina Isidro, sat connected her balcony overlooking the radical prayer — the aforesaid balcony wherever her lad could beryllium heard yelling "Je vais mourir," oregon "I'm going to die," successful video footage that captured portion of his altercation with police.

"What happened is precise difficult," Isidro told CBC News successful Spanish. "I ne'er thought my lad would permission us, that my lad would dice truthful young."

Sunday's vigil successful the Montreal neighbourhood of Saint-Michel took spot on the 5th day of George Floyd's execution successful Minneapolis, which galvanized the Black Lives Matter question and sparked protests astir the satellite astir constabulary brutality and racism.

The radical astatine the vigil constituent to the information that, akin to however Cruz could beryllium heard yelling that helium was going to die, Floyd could beryllium heard saying "I can't breathe" as police serviceman Derek Chauvin utilized his genu to pin Floyd's cervix to the pavement for much than 9 minutes.

"It was the aforesaid concern with my brother. Someone who was asking for help, who couldn't breathe," said Josué Cruz, Abisay's younger brother. 

"And adjacent past they conscionable continued to enactment unit connected his back."

Cruz was 29 years old. His lone child, Enzo, is nine. 

Investigation into Cruz's death

Cruz was 1 of 2 radical successful the Montreal country who died aft a constabulary involution successful a span of astir 12 hours that weekend successful precocious March. Quebec's constabulary watchdog, the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI), is investigating.

According to the preliminary accusation the BEI released astatine the time, Montreal constabulary responded to a 911 telephone connected March 30 astir a idiosyncratic successful situation adjacent the country of Pie-IX Boulevard and 47th Street.

After constabulary arrived and an altercation occurred betwixt them and a antheral astatine the scene, the officers yet restrained him. The BEI said the man, who was aboriginal identified arsenic Cruz, suffered "malaise" and lost consciousness. He was fixed first-aid and transported to infirmary wherever helium was declared dead.

WATCH | Family unites to clasp vigil for Abisay Cruz: 

Since then, videos that captured the constabulary involution person circulated, including footage that was released by the household astir 3 weeks aft Cruz's death.

"We deliberation that determination are similarities successful the ways that Mr. Cruz died and the mode Mr. Floyd died," said Fo Niemi, the caput of the Center for Research-Action connected Race Relations (CRARR).

"This is an accidental to amusement that George Floyd tin hap present successful Montreal."

Videos of the constabulary altercation with Cruz show two officers restraining the 29-year-old begetter connected the backmost balcony of the flat wherever helium lived with his mother. 

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, however, Cruz's legs look to beryllium thrashing against the balcony and he's intelligibly successful distress. 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.

The household has called for a nationalist coroner's inquiry. The coroner's office hasn't ruled that retired yet.

Montreal constabulary declined CBC News's petition for comment, citing the ongoing BEI investigation.

Family to support protesting until they get answers

Cristian Bermudez was champion friends with Cruz.

He lived 2 flat buildings distant from him and they spent overmuch of their puerility successful the alley wherever radical gathered for Sunday's vigil.

"He was a loving guy. He was determination for his friends — loyal," said Bermudez. "It's hard for everybody. It's been precise hard, particularly the mode that helium went out."

Cruz's younger brother, Josué, said interactions betwixt constabulary and Black, Arab and Latino radical successful the Saint-Michel neighbourhood tin often get tense and helium maintains that his member would inactive beryllium live if helium were white.

"The apprehension would've unfolded differently," helium said. 

Josué added that the grieving process has been hard due to the fact that the household doesn't person answers to its questions astir what happened that day.

He thinks the nationalist gatherings and protests successful his brother's honour volition proceed arsenic agelong arsenic that continues to beryllium the case.

"Even his lad is asking questions, and helium doesn't person answers," said Josué.

"He's asking things similar whether constabulary are really determination to help."

WATCH | What people are saying five years aft George Floyd's murder: