Laval Police Department officers who took part in a dangerous rescue operation following a spectacular multiple-vehicle accident on Autoroute 440 in August 2019 were among 17 LPD agents who were presented with medals recently in recognition of their valor and courage in the line of duty.
Some of the LPD officers who intervened at the A-440 accident say they remain traumatized by what they experienced on that day at the notorious and accident-prone junction between the A-15 and the A-440 nearly two years ago.
On the afternoon of Aug. 5 2019, a 10-wheel truck was speeding along the A-440 and was unable to slow down before colliding with a long line of traffic leading onto a ramp towards the A-15. In the ensuing carnage and fires which broke out, four people died and 15 others were seriously injured.
LPD officers Michael Tremblay and Valérie Laverdure were both on the scene that fateful day. While both were horrified by the sound of explosions and cries of terror by motorists trapped in vehicles, neither of them hesitated to do their best to extract victims from the wreckage as best they could.
During the same awards ceremony, LPD officials also handed out medals for bravery to LPD officers who took part in a water rescue operation on July 17 2019. That evening, 911 received a call concerning an individual trapped in water near a hydro electric dam along the Rivière des Prairies.
Following some careful maneuvering around a whirlpool near the dam that the person was at risk of falling into, the LPD officers were able to bring their rescue boat around, throw a rope with a flotation device attached, and haul the endangered person to safety.
In all during the awards ceremony, the LPD handed out medals to officers David Chalifoux, Émy Bourgeois, Éric Dudka, Guillaume Labelle, Gabrielle Ferland, Julien Ouellet, Steve Bussière Bernard, Maude Cartwright, Guillaume Beaudet and Jean-Michel Biron. Medals were also presented to LPD officers Berthier Charbonneau, Michael Tremblay, Charles Renaud, Jessie Martel, Valérie Laverdure, Francis Bérubé and Loïc Clavreul se sont vus remettre des Croix de bravoure.
LPD investigating alleged cryptocurrency fraud, following losses
The Laval Police Department and the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) have opened investigations into an alleged cryptocurrency fraud involving a resident of Laval.
The inquiry revolves around a relatively new cryptocurrency, the Marsan Exchange Token (or MRS), which was launched by 22-year-old Laval resident Antoine Marsan.
An investigation by a Montreal daily revealed that at least 15 investors, some as young as 16 and as old as 20, bought into the MRS cryptocurrency, with investments ranging from $1,000 to $50,000, only to lose 90 per cent over two days. The total value of MRS reached $10 million at one point, then subsequently dropped to $2 million.
Quebec’s Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) is investigating the possibility that a “pump and dump” scheme was used to manipulate the value upwards, and that an as yet unidentified investor with a significant holding of the cryptocurrency then cashed out, before the value fell.
According to the AMF, the scheme involved the use of a cryptocurrency promotion agency, which makes recommendations on investments to more than 2,000 members, as well as a network of online “influencers” spreading the word about MRS through social media.
While the value of an MRS token reached $5.14 at one point, in a single day the value fell to 0.42. After the majority owner began selling when the value peaked, a generalized selloff was triggered among the other MRS holders.
