MONTRÉAL Quebec's public security minister, Ian Lafrenière, expressed openness to the possibility of publicly releasing reports from the province's independent police watchdog, known as the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI). This statement came after the BEI submitted its report to the prosecutor's office regarding the police shooting of a 15-year-old boy, Nooran Rezayi, in September 2025 on Montreal's South Shore.
Lafrenière, a former police officer himself, stated that he would "look into" the release of these reports, albeit acknowledging that such action could raise other concerns. The BEI was established in 2016 to enhance transparency in police operations, investigating incidents where civilians are seriously injured or killed by police. Lafrenière emphasized the necessity of increasing transparency while noting that any released reports would likely be subject to significant redactions.
The minister pointed out that the BEI is the only police oversight body in Canada that does not publicly release its investigation reports. In contrast, equivalent organizations in Ontario, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia publish comprehensive summaries of their investigations, with confidential information anonymized. The Quebec Professional Order of Journalists articulated that the lack of public reporting severely undermines trust both in the police and in the BEI.
The report regarding the fatal shooting of Nooran Rezayi is currently with the prosecutors, who will determine if there is sufficient evidence to charge the police officer involved in the incident. Rezayi was killed by Longueuil police after they responded to a 911 call about a group of allegedly armed youths in a residential area. Importantly, the BEI has confirmed that the only firearm recovered from the scene belonged to the officer who shot the teenager. Other items such as a baseball bat, a backpack, and ski masks were also confiscated, with no sharp-edged weapons found.
In addition to the probe into the shooting, Lafrenière has indicated that his department will investigate claims that Longueuil police acted inappropriately following the incident. These allegations emerged after Longueuil Mayor, Catherine Fournier, released communications between the BEI and the Longueuil police chief. The correspondence revealed criticism from BEI director Brigitte Bishop regarding the police's delay in informing the oversight agency about the shooting, which took 1 hour and 36 minutes.
Furthermore, Bishop noted that Longueuil police had conducted interviews with witnesses and attempted to gather video footage post-shooting, a move she criticized, asserting that it was inappropriate for the Longueuil police to investigate a civilian's death caused by its own officers. Lafrenière stated he is awaiting confirmation from prosecutors that they have all necessary information before commencing his department's administrative inquiry. He emphasized that hurrying the inquiry could disrupt the ongoing investigation, as prosecutors may request additional data.
Lafrenière assured that once prosecutors confirm they have everything they need, an administrative inquiry will be launched to examine the circumstances that led to the initiation of the shooting investigation.
