A woman is seeking more than $112 million in damages from Montreal police and the City of Montreal after she was paralyzed during a police intervention. Hortense Anagonou Cica, 44, was handcuffed and forced to the ground on Sept. 26, 2023, according to court documents filed on Aug. 25 in Quebec Superior Court and a Quebec police watchdog (BEI) news release. When she complained of pain and could not move, she was left on the sidewalk outside of her home and police did not call for medical support, records show. “The plaintiff alleges that these acts and omissions caused, aggravated, or contributed to a serious cervical and spinal cord injury,” the court document reads. The document adds that “if a pre-existing medical or anatomical condition is invoked, the plaintiff alleges that the defendants’ conduct triggered, aggravated, or accelerated it.” Cica, an immigrant from Benin and the mother of two, holds a master’s in psychology. “She alleges that her race, colour, ethnic or national origin, status as a Black woman, or racial stereotypes may have influenced the intervention,” the suit reads, adding that racial factors may have influenced the assessment of threat and force and restraint technique. At the time, she lived in the Garment District of Ahuntsic-Cartierville, near Tolhurst Park. Officers intervened shortly after 3:30 p.m. on the day outside of one of her children’s schools, a few blocks from her apartment. The BEI report of the events says that police informed Cica that she was required to comply with conditions of a court order when she approached one of her children with the child’s other parent present. The BEI says that she “reportedly became agitated and aggressive toward one of the officers.” “The officers then reportedly arrested the person and forced her to the ground in order to handcuff her behind her back,” the BEI said. “The person reportedly mentioned that their neck was hurting.” ‘Restraint was excessive,’ Cica alleges Officers then transported her to her apartment and issued a promise to appear in court. She was, however, unable to get out of the police car, mentioning neck pain and tingling in her limbs. Officers then, allegedly, helped her out of the vehicle and laid her on her back on the ground. Video shows her lying on the sidewalk, immobile. The officers reportedly left the scene at around 4:35 p.m., leaving Cica on the sidewalk. Fellow citizens called 911, and she was taken to Fleury Hospital. The SPVM was informed two days later that she would undergo surgery, according to the BEI report. Cica alleges in her suit “that the restraint was excessive, disproportionate, unnecessary, or otherwise inconsistent with the circumstances.” The BEI investigation file was initially submitted to the DPCP on Dec. 23, 2024. “Due to our confidentiality obligations, we do not at this time have any other public information to provide,” the prosecutors said, adding that the report is currently under review. ‘Will need care ... for the rest of her life’ Cica is suing the city and various SPVM officers involved for $112,500,000. “Before the events, she was independent in her mobility, personal care, and daily activities,” the court document reads. The City of Montreal would not comment on the suit as it is before the courts. She now uses a wheelchair and suffers various impairments. “She will need care, treatments, supplies, equipment, and assistance for an extended period or for the rest of her life,” according to her suit. She is seeking compensation for her pain and suffering, loss of autonomy and mobility, and violation of her physical integrity, along with other claims. She will need, the document says, future care and assistance, accessible housing and specialized equipment and transportation, among other assistance. All allegations must be proven in court.
