City police officers cited in man’s detention await sanctions

The two Montreal police constables who were cited for filing a fake report and detaining a man illegally will receive formal disciplinary sanctions in coming weeks.

The provincial police ethics committee wrapped up its final hearing on Tuesday into the treatment of Nicolas Lavoie by officers Luc Gauthier and Alain Poirier.

In a formal report released in May, the committee found both constables guilty of illegally detaining Lavoie and falsifying a police report in July 2012. Gauthier was also cited for assault — for striking Lavoie’s face.

The lawyer for the commissioner, Christiane Mathieu, said that both Gauthier and Poirier should each receive 15 days of suspension without pay. She said Gauthier and Poirier’s actions were “revolting.”

In his closing arguments, Mario Coderre, a lawyer for the Police Brotherhood, suggested a softer sanction. He lobbied for a five-day suspension for both Gauthier and Poirier, who have been on the force for 26 and 18 years respectively.

The Commissaire à la déontologie policière will render a decision within the next month.

Late one night in July 2012, Gauthier and Poirier picked up Lavoie, who was smoking a cigarette on Ste-Catherine St. outside of Foufounes Électriques. Lavoie had made his way to the nightclub after having several drinks at a Jean Leloup concert earlier that evening. During his testimony, Lavoie admitted to mouthing off to the police officers and spitting on them before being handcuffed and put into a police car.

Gauthier and Poirier said that Lavoie was dropped off around 2 a.m. at the intersection of Berri and Viger Sts. The police officers also said they had issued Lavoie with a ticket for disturbing the peace.

However, Lavoie was found walking on the Jacques-Cartier Bridge a mere 17 minutes later by someone who had called police. Lavoie told the committee that Gauthier and Poirier dumped him in Longueuil. In their testimony, both constables denied this claim.

During his walk over the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, Sûreté du Québec officers Émilie Gervais and Pier-Anne Paré stopped Lavoie. Paré told the committee that Lavoie refused the officers’ offer to call an ambulance and he walked on the sidewalk instead. Lavoie said that they refused to give him a lift to Montreal.

The SQ officers were cleared of any wrongdoing. In the formal report issued by the committee, it was written that Gauthier and Poirier were unhappy with Lavoie’s actions and they decided to “teach him a lesson.”