A harsh intervention by police officers from the Police Department of Quebec City (SPVQ) with black adolescents arouses indignation on social networks and “troubles” the mayor of Quebec, in addition to “greatly” concern the police force.
The images circulating show police officers intervening with force to control a teenager on the ground. A policeman sends snow in the face of a young man with his boot. The teenager appears to be held down by the knee of another officer.
On some video sequences, we also see a second person, facing the ground, in the snow, forcibly held by the police. “ Yo, what the fuck! Shouts the woman who is holding her phone to film, while the person being overpowered moans.
In the evening on Saturday, the SPVQ published a press release in which it said it had “taken action to take all the necessary measures”. The SPVQ added that the police “would have intervened in a way that greatly concerns the management of the Police Department, on the night of November 26 to 27, 2021”.
#intervention policewoman disseminated on social networks | Exhaustive investigation underway following images disseminated on social networks involving SPVQ police officers | For more details: https://t.co/fz4Esh7Leg
– Quebec City Police Department (@SPVQ_police) November 28, 2021
As for the mayor of Quebec, Bruno Marchand, he shared a post on social networks. “For a few hours now, I have seen videos circulating on social networks which concern me greatly,” he wrote. “I am disturbed by these images circulating on the web in relation to a police intervention by the SPVQ. Light will be shed on these events, ”he promised.
Good evening everyone, for the past few hours, I have seen videos circulating on social networks which concern me greatly.
I am disturbed by these images circulating on the web in relation to a police intervention by the SPVQ.
Light will be shed on these events.
– Bruno Marchand (@brunomarchand) November 28, 2021
The SPVQ assured to have acted “as soon as it was made aware” of the events. “The images were, among other things, immediately transmitted to the Directorate as well as to its professional standards module so that they can be analyzed”, it is written in the press release.
“An exhaustive investigation is currently underway to shed light on this event. For the moment, the professional standards module is at the stage of identifying the police officer (s) involved. The measures will be determined as soon as the analysis of the evidence is completed. “
The SPVQ said it did not intend to make any other comments, since an investigation is underway.
Further details will follow.