Family caught in police shootout announces lawsuit against Montreal police, city

A family that was caught in a shootout between Montreal police and an armed suspect last year is suing the police force and the city.

Houssam Abdallah and his family members allege the officers acted negligently and recklessly towards them, causing lasting physical and mental impacts.

• READ MORE: Montreal West Island mayor ‘distressed’ by decision not to lay charges against officers who shot father and son

Lawyer Virginie Dufresne-Lemire says Abdallah was shot six times and his son was shot once during a shootout between police and a 26-year-old suspect in August 2024.

The lawyer says the suspect allegedly tried to steal Abdallah’s vehicle before exchanging gunfire with police in front of the family’s home in the Montreal suburb of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que.

The family says Abdallah and his son were left on the ground without medical care for at least an hour and were eventually handcuffed.

Quebec’s Crown prosecution office announced in June it would not lay charges against Montreal police officers in the case, following an investigation by the province’s police watchdog.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2025.