Montreal police shoot and kill man wielding a sharp object in Lachine

Warning: this story contains details that may be disturbing to some readers

Quebec's police watchdog has launched an independent investigation after a man was shot and killed during an intervention involving the Service de Police de la Ville Montréal (SPVM) officers Thursday afternoon.

The Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI) says, according to the preliminary information it received about the incident, a 9-1-1 call was made shortly after 1 p.m. reporting that a man had attacked people inside a residential building in Montreal's Lachine borough with a sharp object. 

The BEI says the attack happened on des Érables street and that when police arrived, officers spotted the man and saw he was still holding the sharp object.

They say the man reportedly lunged toward the officers who then fired in his direction. The man was hit by at least one bullet and was taken to hospital where he was later declared dead.

Radio-Canada has obtained video footage from someone who witnessed the shooting from across the street.

It shows four police officers standing outside the doorway of a building, one officer can be heard yelling and seen backing up as a man comes toward him. Several shots are fired as the man steps into the doorway. 

The man then falls to the ground where he is surrounded by several officers and handcuffed by police. Shortly afterward, first responders attempt to revive him before placing him on a stretcher.

The BEI said seven of its investigators were sent to the scene of the shooting and the provincial police force, the Sûreté du Québec, will be supporting its investigation.

Anyone who witnessed the event is asked to get in touch via the BEI website.