It could be easily be an understatement to say that over the past two weeks or so, officers with the Laval Police Dept. as well as firefighters with the Laval Fire Dept. have been worked off their feet responding to an exceptionally large number of gun-related criminal incidents and fire calls.
What follows here is a summary taking into account a good number of these incidents and calls.
One arrest, two cars seized in crackdown on gun violence
At least one person was arrested and two vehicles were confiscated in Laval on Thursday May 12 when officers from the Laval Police Dept. executed searches related to recent episodes of gun violence.
Police sent out notices of the actions taken shortly after 11 a.m. The Laval region has been undergoing a particularly violent period lately, with several shootings reported over the past few weeks.
The 25-year-old suspect in this particular case was said to be potentially linked to recent violence in the city, said police.
28-year-old man shot to death in Chomedey
A 28-year-old man was shot and killed early Sunday morning May 8 in the Chomedey sector of Laval. Three other people were also injured in the shooting which took place on Curé Labelle Blvd.
Police were called around 1 a.m. after a car was shot at while five occupants were inside. A 28-year-old man who was in the car succumbed to his injuries after medical technicians tried several times to revive him, said a Laval Police Dept. spokesperson.
Two other people suffered minor injuries, but were not hit by gunshots. The occupants of the car were not known to the police, the police spokesperson said.
Fire destroys house on des Châtelets in Chomedey
A residence in Chomedey was decimated by a fire on the evening of Thursday May 12.
Around 4:25 pm, Laval Fire Dept. firefighters were notified of the blaze on des Châtelets St. According to reports, it was neighbours, concerned by the sight of black smoke coming from the residence, who called 9-1-1.
According to an LFD spokesperson, firefighters saw thick smoke upon their arrival, but soon discovered that no one was home. A preliminary estimate of fire damage to the building suggested it was a complete write-off.
The cause remained unknown at deadline. Around forty firefighters were called out to deal with the blaze. They were forced to deal with unseasonably warm heat on the day of the fire.
Man in hospital after drive-by shooting in Laval
Laval police were investigating after a shooting on the afternoon of Tuesday May 10 in a residential neighbourhood of Chomedey.
According to a Laval Police Dept. spokesperson, a 9-1-1 call was received, reporting gunshots on Normandin St. just after 1 p.m.
When officers arrived, they located a 33-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the leg. He was rushed to hospital, but there was no fear of his losing his life.
The police said the perpetrators were in a vehicle when they fired shots towards the victim, after which they fled. Police had no immediate description of the vehicle, and as of last week no arrests were made.
According to the LPD, the victim was known to the police and he was expected to meet with the investigators as soon as his health status would allow it.
Three homes destroyed by fire on Dansereau St.
Three side-by-side residences on Dansereau St. in Chomedey were gutted by fire during the early morning hours of Sunday May 8. In all, six residents were forced out of their homes by the conflagration.
The blaze started around 2 am in the first house. The heat from that fire was so extreme that it caused flames to spread to a second house and then to a third.
Fire destroys multi-unit residence on Lévesque Blvd.
A residential building on Lévesque Blvd. West near 87th Ave. in Chomedey was destroyed by fire on Saturday May 7, leaving up to 20 people homeless.
Firefighters responded to the blaze around 4:50 am. The flames spread fast, necessitating a second and third alarm and additional firefighters.
There were no injuries, although one resident was attended to briefly by paramedics after complaining of smoke intoxication symptoms.
Gosselin St. blaze destroys two-storey house
On May 2, Laval firefighters battled a blaze where flames shot through the roof, eventually destroying a residential dwelling.
The Laval Fire Dept. was alerted to the two-storey building fire on Gosselin St. in the Chomedey sector around 12:30 p.m.
Although the firefighters were able to quell the blaze, it was not before the building was destroyed.
Streets closed off or temporarily affected by the concentration of firefighting trucks and equipment included Gonthier St., Gendreau St. and Louis-Payette Ave.
LPD to hold Fraud Prevention Day on May 21
The Laval Police Dept. is inviting residents to come out to LPD headquarters at 2911 Chomedey Blvd. to take part in their annual Fraud Prevention Day, where advice will be offered in a wide range of measures to protect yourself and loved ones against fraud.
Experts with the LPD will have information on the types of fraud which have become common these days, including online phishing, fake e-mails, identity theft and fraudulent phone solicitation.
At the same time, it will be an opportunity to bring quantities of personal documents, bills and other papers containing sensitive information to be shred in industrial-size shredding machines the LPD will have on hand for that purpose.
There’s no better way to protect yourself from having information like credit card or social insurance numbers stolen by criminals.
At the same time, officers will be on hand to provide guided tours of key pieces of equipment the LPD sometimes uses in the field, including its Mobile Command Centre.
