NDG residents heard several gunshots before man, 23, killed in police shooting
Police were called to the intersection of Montclair Ave. and De Maisonneuve Blvd. for a fight that broke out
A 23-year-old man has died following a police shooting in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.
Quebec's bureau of independent investigations (BEI), which is investigating the incident, has identified the victim as Nicholas Gibbs.
According to the BEI, Montreal police were called to the intersection of Montclair Avenue and De Maisonneuve Boulevard for a fight that broke out between two men Tuesday night.
One of the men involved in the fight went toward an officer, wielding what appeared to be a knife.
Officers first tried to subdue the man with a stun gun, but were unsuccessful.
Then one officer opened fire, and shot the man at least once. He was rushed to hospital, where his death was confirmed.
As per protocol, Montreal police have handed the case over to the BEI, which handles investigations into incidents where someone is injured or killed during a police operation.
The BEI first stated the man was 39, but has since corrected that information.
Resident hears: 'Shoot me! Shoot Me!'
Gabriel Cyr moved into the area just over a month ago. He was relaxing at home at about 9 p.m. when he was startled out of bed by voices right outside his window.
"I heard people screaming and then at some point someone said, 'Shoot me! Shoot me!'"
Cyr said he didn't see anything. He closed his window and was hiding in his kitchen when he heard four or five gunshots.
"It's weird," he said. "I thought it was a safe neighbourhood."
Freddy Moya says otherwise.
Moya has lived in the neighbourhood for 29 years. He told CBC News that the area is becoming increasingly dangerous.
"This building is getting worse and worse," he said of the apartment complex next door to his.
"Nothing good to say about it. Plenty of drug dealers, prostitutes and unfortunately nothing we can do."
Moya said he was taking a shower Tuesday night and, when he came out, he heard a boom.
"I didn't realize it was a gunshot," he said. "Sometimes you hear that noise when the train pass by."
Neighbours later told him that police ran through his yard, trying to apprehend the suspect. When he stepped outside, he saw there were five or six police cars on the scene.
"It was so fast," he said. "It was so quick that we didn't see nothing."
With files from Lauren McCallum