While the Laval Police say that officers who were pursuing a fleeing shoplifter last Monday had broken off the chase before the suspect was involved in a serious collision, Quebec’s Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI) has opened an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Around 5 pm last Monday, the LPD responded to a call from a business on Robert Bourassa Blvd that the 34-year-old suspect had committed an act of shoplifting.
After a security guard identified the vehicle being used by the suspect, LPD officers began to pursue the vehicle, but subsequently decided to maintain a distance and only monitor the car.
According to the BEI, the suspect collided with another vehicle on des Laurentides Blvd. near Saint-Martin Blvd. and de Grenoble St. after the police broke off their chase.
The suspect was seriously injured in the crash and was taken to hospital where his condition was said to be stable. A separate investigation is being conducted at the same time by the Sûreté du Québec.
