Armed suspect alert issued for Côte

Three people including a Montreal officer are dead after police responded to reports of an armed suspect in Côte-des-Neiges Monday.

Police said a suspect and a citizen are also dead. A second officer is in hospital in serious but stable condition.

A public safety alert issued across radio, TV and mobile phones Monday afternoon advised residents to shelter in place, lock the doors and stay away from windows while police responded.

The alert was lifted just after 3 p.m.

Witnesses said they heard dozens of shots fired in the district. A resident who lives in the area said it has been “complete chaos.”

“When the first round of shots went off, we thought it was construction because there’s two big construction sites in the area,” said Brandon Benchimol-Elkaim. “In the park that’s in between the complex, parents were yanking their kids off of the park play structure and running. So something didn’t feel right.”

After seeing that, Benchimol said he heard more shots fired. He told Global News police then “swarmed” the area.

“Right outside our window, we saw them going into the grocery store, guns drawn, hiding behind cars and SWAT team arrived shortly after. And since then, it’s been a ghost town out here.”

The area is bordered around Côte-des-Neiges, McDonald, Highway 40 and Queen Mary Road.

Quebec’s Transport Department says it has closed sections of the Décarie expressway and other parts of the highway network in the central part of the city due to the police operation.

Officials have also closed significant sections of two metro lines.

Public Security Minister Ian Lafrenière told reporters Monday afternoon his “thoughts are with the families of the people injured,” and said as a former police officer with the SPVM, he would not comment on the operation.