Quebec officer dies: Court inquest leaves suspect's wanted son hospitalized

MONTREAL – The parents of a Quebec man who killed a provincial police sergeant last March tried to forcefully hospitalize him in the days before the attack because of his deteriorating mental health.

The details were revealed Monday on the opening day of a coroner's inquest into the death of Sgt. Maureen Brough and Isaac Brouillard Lessard were shot dead by police after stabbing an officer with a kitchen knife.

Breaux was killed on March 27 in Louisville, Que., about 100 kilometers northeast of Montreal, while trying to arrest Brouillard Lessard, who had mental health problems. He and three other officers were sent to the suspect's apartment after threatening him and violating his probation. Another officer was seriously injured in the knife attack.

Two responding provincial police officers shot the 35-year-old man 19 times; He died near the front door of his apartment. Brough was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after 11 p.m

Coroner Brouillard heard on Monday that Lessard sent threatening texts and phoned his mother three days before the attack.

Patrick Michaud, an investigator with Quebec's independent police watchdog – the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes – testified about the large number of messages between the mother and a relative, as well as other texts, that led him to believe his son was suffering from psychosis.

“If he calls, you can call the police,” the mother texted a family member. “He lives in Louisville and he doesn't have the money to travel, so don't worry.”

His mother and father called 911 on March 24 to arrest their son and forcibly admit him to the hospital. That night, four officers went to Brouillard Lessard's apartment — two of whom would return three days later for a fatal encounter.

Michaud said officers did not arrest Brouillard Lessard on March 24; the man remained calm and admitted making the threats. The investigator said the police had determined there was no reason to detain him.

Brouillard Lessard continued to threaten his mother, and less than an hour after the visit, the father called 911 to complain that police had not detained his son.

Miko noted in his testimony that between March 24 and March 27, Brouillard Lessard attempted to call his mother 43 times and sent her 481 text messages.

On March 27, the day of the fatal stabbing, Brouillard's brother called police to report that Lessard had threatened him.

The inquest heard that between the end of December 2022 and the night of the stabbing of the sergeant, Brouillard Lessard was dealt with by police four times. The first was on December 30, 2022, a few days after he moved to the small Quebec City, where he got into an argument with another tenant in his apartment over a lost cat.

Police made no arrests because neither man wanted to press charges, but a provincial police officer issued an internal bulletin to colleagues in the district to “act with caution” against Brouillard Lessard, noting that he had abused his health. care workers.

Brouillard Lessard has five previous criminal convictions.

Late last month, Crown announced that no criminal charges would be filed against the two officers who shot and killed him.

The public inquest is being held in Trois-Rivières, Que., halfway between Montreal and Quebec City, and will be presided over by Coroner Gehan Kamel.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on February 12, 2024.

Siddhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press