The father of a 15-year-old boy shot and killed by Longueuil police on Sunday afternoon is asking for answers.
Sharif Rezay, whose son, Nooran Rezay, was shot dead during a police operation on Montreal’s South Shore, said through tears on Monday that his son was a loving boy who did nothing wrong.
“He was a baby. A little boy. Oh my god,” Sharif told a group of journalists assembled near the corner of Joseph-Daigneault and Monaco streets, where the shooting occurred one day earlier. “He was always smiling, everyone loved him.”
Quebec’s police watchdog, the BEI, is investigating the shooting. The agency is holding a morning news conference on Tuesday — an extremely rare step. Normally, the BEI releases only minimal preliminary information about incidents to the public.
Johnny Inthisone, who witnessed the shooting from his home, said police shot the 15-year-old boy “far too quickly,” barely interacting with the teen at all before firing two bullets.
Inthisone, who lives right next to where the shooting took place, said he saw five youths run by his house Sunday afternoon. He looked out the window to see what was going on. He said the police arrived at that moment, and officers got out of a patrol car, shouted “stop” twice and then opened fire.
Inthisone said the shooting “happened in two seconds, not even.”
“When he was shot, the youth was surprised. He was like ‘why, why did you shoot me,'” Inthisone said, describing the look on Nooran’s face.
He said Nooran fell onto the grass when he was hit. Police then performed CPR for several minutes before an ambulance arrived and transported him to the hospital.
The BEI released what it said was preliminary information about the shooting. The watchdog agency said Longueuil police received a 911 call around 2:48 p.m. from someone reporting a group of armed people in a public place.
Officers arrived at the scene 10 minutes later and “entered into contact with the group.”
“During the intervention, one person was hit by a shot fired by police,” the agency wrote.
Quebec’s police watchdog, the BEI, is investigating after a 15-year-old boy was shot and killed by Longueuil police on Sunday.
Sharif, his face contorted in pain, said he had last seen his son earlier Sunday, when he said he was going to play soccer with friends. At 1 p.m., Sharif’s wife called Nooran, who said he was on his way home shortly.
Hours later, at 8:28 p.m. while playing volleyball, Sharif said he received a call from his family telling him the police were at their house.
In a whirlwind, he learned of his son’s death and travelled to a hospital where he could only look from afar at his son’s face to confirm his identity. Since then, his wife has been repeating “they killed my baby.”
“We need justice,” he said.
Teen was only carrying backpack, family says
Nooran’s family and friends, who visited the scene of the shooting on Monday, said he was a kind, gentle boy. He wasn’t violent, they said, and had only been carrying his school bag with books in it when he was shot.
He was a student at André-Laurendeau high school, which is also located in Longueuil, not far from where the shooting occurred. A spokesperson for the service centre that oversees the school said psychosocial supports will be offered to students and staff affected by Rezay’s death.
Another witness, Alexandre Girard, who lives near the scene of the shooting, said he was in his basement on Sunday afternoon when he heard two loud cracks.
He went upstairs and saw a person lying on the ground outside with multiple police officers performing CPR. Nearby, a group of young people appeared to be panicking, he said.
“It’s worrisome,” he said. “You see that happen to a kid who goes to the same school as your daughter. It’s troubling.”
The BEI investigates incidents where people are injured or killed during police interventions. The oversight agency has assigned five investigators to look into the circumstances of the shooting and is being assisted by Montreal police.
