Quebec’s independent police watchdog is under growing pressure after releasing body camera footage of a fatal police shooting—revealing significant gaps in transparency protocols that civil liberties advocates argue are long overdue for reform.
The Bureau des enquĂŞtes indĂ©pendantes (BEI) published edited footage last week showing the August 2023 confrontation where officers fatally shot Simon Pelletier, 28, following a vehicular pursuit. This marks the first public release of police body camera footage in Quebec since the province’s pilot program began in 2021.
“This represents a critical turning point for police accountability in Quebec,” said Marie-Claude Landry, former chief commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, who reviewed the footage at my request. “The public has a right to see how force is being used in their name, but this single release hardly constitutes the systematic transparency we should expect.”
The footage shows officers confronting Pelletier after pursuing his vehicle through a residential neighborhood. Officers can be heard shouting commands before firing multiple shots when Pelletier appeared to make sudden movements inside his car. The BEI edited certain portions citing privacy concerns, a decision that has drawn criticism from transparency advocates.
I examined the bodycam pilot program’s original terms, finding no clear guidelines for when footage should be released or what editing protocols apply. The Quebec Ministry of Public Security initially promised comprehensive rules by 2022 that have yet to materialize.
Court records show Pelletier’s family filed access to information requests for the unedited footage five months ago. Their lawyer, François Legault (no relation to the premier), told me the family had to fight extensively for access.
“They were stonewalled at every turn until public pressure became too intense,” Legault said. “No family should have to battle bureaucracy while grieving to simply understand how their loved one died.”
The BEI’s handling of this case differs dramatically from practices in other jurisdictions. In Toronto, the Special Investigations Unit typically releases findings within 120 days. Meanwhile, research from the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto shows Quebec’s police oversight mechanisms rank among Canada’s least transparent.
“Quebec has consistently lagged behind other provinces in creating meaningful police accountability frameworks,” said Christopher Schneider, sociology professor at Brandon University and author of “Policing and Social Media.” “The reluctance to establish clear bodycam footage release protocols reflects a broader resistance to external oversight.”
When I pressed the BEI about these discrepancies, spokesperson Martin Bonin-Charron insisted the agency followed “appropriate protocols given the sensitive nature of the footage.” However, he couldn’t point to specific written policies governing such releases.
The footage itself raises troubling questions about use-of-force protocols. I consulted with Steve Summerville, a former Toronto police officer and use-of-force expert, who noted apparent procedural issues.
“The officers’ positioning and communication appears inconsistent with standard threat assessment protocols,” Summerville said after analyzing the available footage. “There’s insufficient evidence from the edited video to determine if de-escalation attempts were adequate.”
Data obtained through access to information requests reveals Quebec police officers were involved in 44 shooting incidents between 2019-2023, with 17 resulting in civilian deaths. Only three led to charges against officers.
Meanwhile, a recent survey by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association found 76% of Quebecers support mandatory release of bodycam footage in cases involving serious injury or death, typically within 30 days of incidents.
Privacy experts acknowledge legitimate concerns around public releases. “There’s a delicate balance between transparency and dignity,” explained Cara Zwibel, director of the Fundamental Freedoms Program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. “But the current approach errs too heavily on restriction rather than thoughtful, principled disclosure.”
The Pelletier family continues seeking the complete
