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

From left: Houssam Abdallah, 52, Abdel Rahman Abdallah, 18, and Sirin El Jundi in a family photo. The father and son were both shot outside their home in Dollard-Des Ormeaux on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. (Submitted)

The mayor of Dollard-des-Ormeaux sent a letter to Quebec’s Public Security Minister saying he is “deeply distressed” by a decision not to any charges against Montreal police officers after a family was caught in gunfire during a police operation last summer.

Two members of a family from the municipality on Montreal’s West Island were shot Aug. 4. The family was unpacking from a camping trip when a man fleeing from police allegedly tried to steal their car.

Gunfire ensued, and Houssam Abdallah, the father of the family, was shot five times, and his son was also injured.

Last week, Quebec’s police watchdog (BEI) and the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP) “concluded that the analysis of the evidence did not reveal that any criminal offence had been committed by officers of the Montreal Police Service” and said it would not comment further as there is a case before the courts.

In his letter, reviewed by CTV News, Mayor Alex Bottausci said the DPCP’s lack of transparency toward the family and the public raises serious concerns.

“This shooting seriously injured two innocent people — a father and his son — and deeply affected their family and the entire neighbourhood, which is mainly made up of families and children, impacting a large number of residents in our community," he wrote.

Bottausci pointed out that it remains unclear how many police officers were involved in the operation, what the exact circumstances were and why some 40 shots were fired in a residential area.

“Six bullets hit the father, another hit his son – but where did the other bullets go? Are all these shots considered justified in a densely populated residential neighbourhood? It is inconceivable that such an operation could have taken place in a family environment without clear safety measures being put in place to protect the citizens present at the scene," he said.

A spokesperson for the Ministry said it has “complete confidence in these two institutions” and that it will “review the mayor’s comments and respond accordingly.”

Bottausci is demanding the Public Security Ministry conduct an additional independent review, including reassessment of the BEI’s conclusions. He also wants a public inquiry by the ombudsman to assess whether proper protocols were followed.

“This type of intervention, in its current form, cannot be considered safe,” said Bottausci. “The event caused chaos in the neighbourhood and deeply undermined the confidence of our population in the institutions that are supposed to protect them.”