A man from Longueuil, tired of accumulating fines, admitted to having intentionally driven into a police officer who was trying to intercept him on the highway in May 2022. The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) agent, seriously injured, had been hospitalized for more than a week.
Christopher Desrosiers, 29, pleaded guilty Thursday morning at the Montreal courthouse to charges of aggravated assault against a peace officer, dangerous driving and possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking.
He admitted to having put the life of a Sûreté du Québec (SQ) police officer in danger two years ago during an episode of road rage which seriously injured the victim. Wanting to avoid yet another fine, he fled the officer and then rushed towards him at the wheel of his vehicle.
The driver received nine years in prison following a joint suggestion from both parties, endorsed by judge France Charbonneau.
1er May 2022, a normal morning for Mickael Cherrier. The SQ agent carries out a radar operation on Highway 40, at the Charles-De Gaulle Bridge exit.
He located a Honda vehicle traveling at 130 km/h, while the speed limit is 100 km/h. He then chases the car driven by Christopher Desrosiers. The agent travels on a motorcycle.
The driver accelerates although the police officer tries to intercept him.
The latter activates his flashing lights and siren, which does not prevent the motorist from continuing his journey. He even runs a red light in his mad escape.
Christopher Desrosiers then deliberately rushed towards Officer Cherrier, according to the joint statement of facts filed at the hearing. “The Sûreté du Québec motorcycle overturned on the ground. The agent is ejected. »
The driver then rolled over the police officer on the ground, passing directly over his chest, before leaving the scene.
Officer Cherrier told the court that the defendant looked at him after he turned around, according to court documents. “He mentions that the Honda vehicle has the space to flee without hitting him, that he is not directly in the driving line of the vehicle, that he is still on the side of the road and that Mr. Desrosiers must leave the traffic lanes to come and hit him. »
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Officer Cherrier at the Montreal courthouse
The man was arrested the same day in Longueuil. Drugs were seized from the vehicle.
Tired of fines
Shortly after his arrest, he admitted to having been behind the wheel of the Honda vehicle even though he did not have a valid driver’s license. “I’m in a car and he’s in a motorbike, so the calculation is easy to do,” he told investigators by way of explanation.
Christopher Desrosiers has accumulated violations of the Highway Safety Code since 2013, according to the summary of facts.
“I had a stack that high of tickets on the steps, then it was a new stack. At some point, I am disgusted to pay them,” the accused said on the day of his arrest.
Excessive speed, obstruction, driving without a license or under sanctions, fleeing the police: he received 54 tickets in total for different offenses. “As of May 13, 2022, he accumulated an unpaid balance with the authorities concerning his tickets totaling $5,434,” read the court documents.
Me Anik Archambault and Me Pierre-Olivier Bolduc represented the public prosecutor in this case, while the accused was defended by Mr.e Catherine Daniel-Houle and Me Ulisce Desmarais.