Lachine

Second suspect caught in Dorval hit and run

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

The second suspect who had escaped after the hit and run that left a Montreal police officer injured on April 22 has been arrested. The 25-year-old suspect who is alleged to have deliberately drove into an unmarked vehicle in order to flee a police interception near the intersection of 55th Avenue and Guthrie Avenue in Dorval had managed to escape after the car was parked at a residential building in Pointe-Claire.

The suspect is facing multiple charges, including vehicle theft, trafficking in property obtained by crime, dangerous driving causing bodily harm and armed assault against a peace officer. The suspect is also believed to be involved in another attempted vehicle theft that occurred on the same day in Kirkland.

The suspect’s alleged accomplice was arrested moments after police officers located the stolen vehicle in Pointe-Claire and is facing charges of vehicle theft and receiving stolen property.

On April 22, patrol officers noticed two suspects attempting to steal a vehicle, at half past noon, near 55th Avenue in Lachine. A suspect was apprehended while the second suspect managed to flee from officers on foot towards another alleged stolen vehicle parked nearby with an accomplice already in the driver’s seat. The duo fled at high speed smashing into a police vehicle that hit a police officer nearby who was on foot before fleeing via Highway 20 at which point police lost sight of their whereabouts.

The West Island community was shocked to discover that a police officer was injured while on duty, particularly in relation to an alleged petty car theft. Montreal Police reassured the community that it is taking the incident very seriously and that it intends to send a strong message. “The SPVM takes this opportunity to remind the population that attacking police officers is simply unacceptable. Such acts will not be tolerated in our society. People who commit them will be arrested and held accountable for their actions,” the SPVM stated. n

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Start announced on 94 social housing units in Lachine

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante announced the start of 94 housing units comprised of one to three bedrooms across the street from a 500-condo unit project in Lachine. The project is one of the first to adhere to the city’s 20-20-20 by-law that stipulates that 20 per cent of housing projects must be composed of social housing units.

“It shows that our bylaw for a mixed metropolis is yielding results,” Plante stated at a press conference last week. “Everyone agrees that we need to build more and faster, but we also need to protect the mixed housing aspect and for that to work, I need everyone to be part of it, including builders.”

“We’ve been working on this for six years. We are very happy because in the whole Lachine east eco- district we wanted a mix, a complete community and not leave anyone behind with just luxury condos. 94 units is a start,” Lachine Mayor Maja Vadonovic told The Suburban. Vodanovic says that Lachine used up the last of its resources from the abolished Acces Logis program that it had retained to put towards a viable project. “The Government of Quebec decided not to fund social housing and the city does not have billions from income tax and goods and services taxes that pay for schools, hospitals and social housing. The only thing we can do is put in a by law so that developers are obliged to include social housing. There is a new program with the federal government giving money directly to cities, but of course in Quebec, it runs through the provincial government.”

According to Vodanovic, for more projects like this to be made possible, the provincial government will need to step up its game and provide funding to give the city the ability to work with its developers to incentivize mixed or complete social housing projects to resolve the housing crisis. She says that this project, although a promising example of the city’s by-law, was only made possible because Lachine carried over remnants of the Acces Logis program to help support the developer in bringing the project to life. “Without Quebec’s support, we cannot resolve the crisis and we cannot even consider taxing our residents more than we are for something that Quebec is responsible for, especially while inflation is at an all time high.” n

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Man shot and killed at Duff Court

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

A 27-year old man was shot and killed at the basketball court in Duff Court in Lachine last Wednesday evening. The man was transported to the hospital in critical condition shortly after 7 p.m. and was pronounced dead in the hospital later that evening.

Montreal police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the man’s death. According to early reports and eyewitness accounts, a suspect allegedly showed up at the basketball court, shot the victim and fled on foot.

The victim was accompanied by a group of friends at the time of the shooting who were questioned by investigators along with other witnesses that were present at the time of the shooting in the busy Lachine neighbourhood. Investigators are reviewing footage in the area and the basketball court has been taped off while the crime scene is analyzed.

This is the 17th homicide in Montreal this year. n

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Pointe Claire building evacuated after hit-and-run chase

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

Montreal police (SPVM) evacuated a residential building on Lakeshore in Pointe-Claire in search of two suspects linked to a hit and run on a police vehicle Monday. At approximately 12:30 Monday afternoon, patrol officers noticed two suspects attempting to steal a vehicle near 55th Avenue in Lachine. A suspect was apprehended while the second suspect managed to flee from officers on foot towards another alleged stolen vehicle parked nearby with an accomplice already in the drivers seat. The duo fled at high speed smashing into a police vehicle that hit a police officer nearby who was on foot before going onto highway 20 at which point police lost sight of their whereabouts.

The Quebec provincial police assisted in the operation closing a section of Highway 20 while the search for the suspects was underway. Minutes later, the vehicle in which the suspects fled was located at the far end of the parking lot of a residential building between Sources and St-Jean boulevards on Lakeshore road.

Residents witnessed police searching the vehicle moments before they were asked to evacuate the building. Police officers conducted a building-wide search. “It was scary, I heard the police knocking on doors and I looked outside and saw them with their guns out and I could hear their K9 dogs barking. I am just glad it is over,” Meagan, one of the buildings tenants, said to The Suburban. “I saw the police break the windshield of the car because they thought the guy was hiding inside. When they did not find him in the car, they came into the building,” The building manager, Gracel Dorado said to The Suburban. “We waited outside for about 30 minutes.”

After securing the building and reviewing footage from the security cameras, investigators were able to determine that at least one suspect fled on foot heading Eastbound. The SPVM’s K9 unit was deployed to help narrow the search.By 3:30 p.m., one 19-year old male suspect was arrested.The police officer who was hit at the early stages of the chase sustained non-life threatening injuries. n

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Lachine man charged with murder

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

Ahmed Achour, 28, has been charged with murder and attempted murder following his arrest in connection with a fatal stabbing that occurred in a building near the intersection of 1st Avenue and Provost in Lachine last Friday.

The first victim, 40-year-old Francis Hébert, was stabbed last Thursday night and was transported to the hospital where he died early Friday morning. A second victim in connection to the attacks that took place last Thursday was identified accounting for the charge of attempted murder.

Achour was charged and detained until Tuesday with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. On Tuesday, prosecutor Anne-Andrée Charette informed Quebec Court Judge Tristan Desjardins that the initial charge would be withdrawn and replaced with murder and attempted murder. The case will be transferred to the Superior Court and Achour remains detained until the next steps of the proceedings against him are slated to take place in June.

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