The mayor of Longueuil, Quebec is asking the Quebec government to investigate police actions following a fatal shooting involving a 15-year-old boy.
Mayor Catherine Fournier says she made the extraordinary decision to ask Public Security Minister Jan Lafrenière to intervene after she reviewed what she called very serious information last month about police actions following the shooting death of 15-year-old Nouran Rezaia.
The letters were exchanged between Bridget Bishop, head of police oversight, Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes, and Longueuil police chief Patrick Bélanger, and were released by the city on Thursday.
The letters indicate that police took more than 90 minutes after the shooting to inform the watchdog about what happened, and that officers continued to interview witnesses at the scene, contrary to the rules they were supposed to follow.
“These letters reveal several alleged violations of (Longueuil police) legal and regulatory obligations in the events following the tragic death of Nouran Rezaia on September 21st in a police shooting,” the city said in a statement.
The rules of conduct for a guard dog are also set out in the Police Act, which states that an independent investigation must be carried out if a person who is not an on-duty police officer is killed or seriously injured as a result of a firearm used by a police officer during an intervention or while in custody.
According to the law, the police chief involved in such an incident “shall immediately inform the Bureau.”
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According to the watchdog, the shooting occurred around 2:58 p.m., and the department began its own investigation at 4:54 p.m.
One of the letters sent by Bishop, dated November 5, noted that police did not inform gardaí of the incident until 4:34 p.m., after officers had spoken to witnesses at the scene.
Bélanger responded on Nov. 11, suggesting that the rules do not require police to inform a guard dog “immediately,” instead suggesting that they must notify “at the first reasonable opportunity.”
He also said police remained at the scene to treat the injured person and to ensure there was no additional threat to public safety.
He said police also received a call several kilometers away about a potentially armed youth at 3:26 p.m., leading them to believe there was a connection. He said “swift action” was needed to bring both scenes fully under control and ensure they were safe for both police and members of the public.
Under the circumstances, Belanger wrote that the delay was “reasonable and justifiable.”
But Bishop rejected his assessment in a follow-up letter dated Nov. 25, noting that at 3:01 p.m., an officer advised there were no additional suspects.
She also noted that police continued to take witness statements until 6:22 p.m., after the watchdog began investigating.
“In this context, I am struck by your statement that you are not concerned about the time elapsed before notification is made to the BEI, when in similar situations the average time is 33 minutes.”
Fournier notes that the city cannot interfere with police operations and that the only legal option her administration could take under the Police Act was to send a letter to Lafreniere asking for an investigation.
In a message posted on social media, Lafreniere said the government was reviewing her request.
On Tuesday, Rezaia's family announced they were filing a $2.2 million lawsuit against the city of Longueuil.
Video presented at a news conference by the family and their lawyers showed Rezaei was shot 10 seconds after police parked their police cruiser at the scene.
“They killed my child for no reason,” Fahima Rezaei, the boy’s mother, told reporters.
“Why was this officer in such a hurry to shoot Nuran with two bullets without even taking time to think? He didn't even give him five seconds to lie down.”
The family said police waited more than five hours to notify them of the shooting.
The Longueuil police officer involved in the shooting has been placed on “indefinite medical leave.”
Fournier said the sequence of events must be fully investigated. The police actions are already being investigated by watchdogs, and Montreal police have opened a parallel criminal investigation into the shooting.
“Trust in our institutions is at the core of my political commitment,” Fournier said.
In September she called for police transparency and on Thursday said the same transparency should apply to Longueuil police.
“The sequence of events must be fully investigated to maintain confidence in the organization and identify the sources of any shortcomings,” Fournier said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
