After a tragic shooting incident on June 22, it has been clarified by Radio-Canada sources that a Montreal police officer did not shoot civilian Michel Mizrahi, who lost his life during the operation. The details were initially disclosed by La Presse on Wednesday morning.
Autopsy results revealed that Mizrahi sustained multiple gunshot wounds that day, with a fatal shot to the head. Analysis of the fatal shot indicated a left-to-right trajectory, contradicting the police officer’s positioning, leading forensic pathologists to eliminate the possibility of the shot originating from her firearm.
The police officer, who had a tenure of 15 months, was reportedly being pursued by the assailant. Tragically, moments before, the perpetrator fatally shot her patrol partner, Const. Mohamed Lamine Benredouane, who was nearby.
The assailant, armed with an SKS rifle, wounded the police officer in the arm and abdomen before being neutralized by law enforcement shortly after. Multiple videos of the incident circulated on social media, causing misconceptions that the officer mistakenly shot Mizrahi.
The officer faced severe backlash, including death threats, while in critical condition at the hospital. Montreal Police Chief Fady Dagher expressed his support for the officer and hoped for her commendation, emphasizing the challenging circumstances she endured.
The incident unfolded when police responded to reports of an armed individual at a Hilton hotel in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood. A confrontation ensued between Montreal police and the shooter, resulting in the ongoing investigations by Quebec’s police watchdog, provincial police service, and coroner’s office.