BEI Investigation- woman dead

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Prison Bars

Woman found unconscious in SQ interrogation room has died

François Carrier
Local Journalism Initiative

CAMPBELL’S BAY – On March 11, the Bureau of Independent Investigations (BEI) announced that the woman who was found unconscious in the interrogation room of the Campbell’s Bay Sûreté du Québec (SQ) station has died.

Friday, March 1, around 2:30 p.m., the BEI launched an investigation into the circumstances of a detention involving the SQ station. According to information released by the BEI, around 8:40 a.m., SQ police officers arrested a woman at her home. Later in the day, around 11:15 a.m., she was allegedly found unconscious on the floor of the SQ station’s interrogation room. First aid was provided to her, and she was then transported to a hospital where her condition was considered serious. No further information has been made available at this time by the BEI.

According to procedure in this type of case, no theory can be mentioned, nor any element of the investigation made public before the conclusion, which can take several months. Contacted by CHIP FM, the BEI nevertheless confirmed that the interrogation room is monitored by cameras, and they are in possession of the footage.

Five BEI investigators were tasked with investigating the circumstances surrounding the intervention; given normal procedures in this type of case, the Montreal police are taking over the original criminal investigation that led to the arrest, as the SQ cannot continue the investigation while they are under investigation. The BEI is asking anyone who may have witnessed this event to contact them via their website: www.bei.gouv.qc.ca. BEI investigations take on average just over five months.

The BEI’s mission is to shed complete light on the facts surrounding the police intervention. The BEI investigates all cases where a person, other than a police officer on duty, dies, suffers serious injury or is injured by a firearm used by a police officer during a police intervention or while in police custody.

Both the SQ and the Montreal City Police Service declined to comment due to the ongoing BEI investigation.