WARNING: This story contains disturbing video and graphic descriptions of violence, as well as coarse language
A crucial video has been shown at the trial of Alain Bellefeuille — who shot and killed an Ontario Provincial Police officer and wounded two others outside Ottawa in 2023 — that takes the jury to the heart of the central question in play.
Did Bellefeuille know he was shooting at police when he repeatedly opened fire?
Footage from the body-worn camera of Sgt. Eric Mueller, who died at the scene, contains moments important to both the Crown and defence. And it provides a rare glimpse at what police sometimes face when responding to calls.
Bellefeuille has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder, and the charges against him have not been proven. But it’s not in dispute that he shot and killed Mueller. And there’s no question that he shot and critically wounded Const. Marc Lauzon — who lived — and fired shots towards Const. François Gamache-Asselin that caused lacerations to his knee.
With the judge’s permission, CBC News obtained portions of Mueller’s bodycam video. CBC is publishing part of the footage below, with the warning that it depicts graphic violence from the perspective of the mortally wounded officer.
The video includes coarse language, gunshots, disturbing images and sound.
This article also includes graphic descriptions of a violent event as it unfolds.
In the early morning hours on May 11, 2023, Mueller, Lauzon and Gamache-Asselin responded to a noise complaint and performed a wellness check on Bellefeuille at his home on Laval Street in Bourget, Ont., about an hour’s drive east of downtown Ottawa.
Mueller’s bodycam was activated at 2:28 a.m. The video shows him turning his cruiser up a lane to Bellefeuille’s house.
Ahead of him, Lauzon is in his own cruiser with his lights flashing. The first officer on scene, Lauzon has already spoken with the neighbours and tried phoning Bellefeuille without success.
The two officers park. Lauzon turns off his flashing lights, leaving his bright white takedown light illuminating the house and driveway.
The house is dark, but a porch light is on.
Lauzon’s siren is blaring loudly as he and Mueller step out of their vehicles, and the two officers exchange words in French.
Mueller tells Lauzon he didn’t want Lauzon going inside, just in case, and asks if Bellefeuille has kids or is alone.
Lauzon tells his sergeant that Bellefeuille is alone, and that the porch light had been off but came on at some point. He says Bellefeuille is reported to drink a lot and is sad about having to move out of his home. And he relays that a neighbour earlier reported hearing yelling and gunfire.
They agree to split up for a perimeter check.
Warning: this video depicts a violent event. It includes coarse language, gunfire, disturbing images and graphic sound.
Footage shown in court at the Alain Bellefeuille murder trial
Both officers shine flashlights on the front porch and through the windows, then Lauzon heads right toward the garage and back of the house. Mueller lingers at the porch, telling Gamache-Asselin — who has recently arrived — to “come up” in English over the radio, and then heads around the other side of the house.
“Yeah just cover the front door. Just going to do a perimeter check first,” Mueller says in English over the radio.
Mueller and Lauzon meet in the backyard. A dog barks three times. The officers shine their flashlights at the back door and through the windows.
Lauzon knocks repeatedly on the door and the window. The door is locked, he says in French. He relays that he sees a dog and that its barking should wake Bellefeuille.
Mueller says in French that they’ll check the front door again and enter the house that way. A few seconds later he adds, again in French, “We’re f–king smashing it, man.”
Neither he nor Mueller have verbally announced themselves as police officers yet. This is a key issue the defence has raised during cross-examination of Crown witnesses.
Gamache-Asselin is waiting out front, taking cover behind a van.
Mueller approaches a window and shines his flashlight inside, while Lauzon opens the front door with his pistol drawn at his side.
Gamache-Asselin has no chance to speak to his colleagues. He testified under cross-examination that he had no idea Mueller and Lauzon were going to enter until they walked up to the front door, and that he followed them but hung back slightly.
“Allo Alain, police!” Lauzon yells calmly.
At this point, the bodycam footage provided by the court cuts for 46 seconds. The jury, however, sees and hears it all, and later, Lauzon explains it.
Opening the door, Lauzon also says, “Salut le chien [Hello dog]. Allo Alain, police! Alain!”
Mueller yells, in English, “Hello!”
It’s 2:33 a.m., and both men are now inside.
Suddenly, right after Mueller says hello, Bellefeuille fires nine shots with his semi-automatic rifle through his bedroom wall in the direction of the officers.
“Gams! Help! Gams!” Mueller screams to Gamache-Asselin, using his nickname.
Eight seconds later, two more shots are heard.
The footage provided by the court resumes just before 2:34 a.m. Mueller is on the floor of the darkened mudroom, bleeding, his camera obscured, then facing toward the ceiling. Gamache-Asselin shouts at Lauzon to come outside, and Lauzon replies in French, “I can’t! I’m injured!” between heavy breaths.
As Gamache-Asselin screams on the radio that Lauzon is injured and to send an ambulance immediately, Bellefeuille screams in English, “Break and enter, motherf–ker!”
Lauzon — who has been shot multiple times — steps briefly into the frame from the door as Gamache-Asselin shouts at him to retreat.
Lauzon, breathing hard and moaning, looks down at Mueller. Smoke from the shots that hit Lauzon’s protective vest wafts up to his face, meeting with the fog of his breath.
He looks around a corner, trying to see Bellefeuille, then moves back outside and out of view.
Meanwhile, Mueller’s bodycam footage shows Bellefeuille in his bedroom doorway. He raises his rifle and fires two more shots out a window.
Wearing a black T-shirt, a baseball cap and combat pants, Bellefeuille walks toward Mueller.
He fires another shot out the front door, then bends over to look directly into Mueller’s face.
“You f–ked with the wrong motherf–ker, man, but c’est ainque ça que j’ai à dire [That’s all I’ve got to say],” he says, his voice sometimes dropping to a whisper. “You f–ked with the wrong motherf–ker. Shoulda never broke into my house. Sorry about that.”
About 12 seconds later, Bellefeuille says, “Uh, f–k.”
He stands up, flips on the light, then grabs the bodycam. The view is obscured for a few seconds by Bellefeuille’s hand, and then the lens is covered with something. Nothing can be seen for the remaining two minutes and 40 seconds of video.
A dragging sound is heard, then four more shots ring out at 2:35 a.m. Bellefeuille was firing at the police cruisers outside, Gamache-Asselin testified.
About 45 seconds later, Bellefeuille says in French, “Sorry bud, but you f–ked with the wrong guy. F–ked with the wrong guy.”
At 2:37 a.m., Bellefeuille calls police. He tells the dispatcher in English, “Hi, I shot, I had a break and enter but unfortunately I shot a police.” Then he gives her his address.
He’s transferred to another dispatcher, and Bellefeuille tells him the same thing before the video ends.
Mueller’s body-worn camera video is one of several shown to the jury so far in the Crown’s case. Three segments of video from Gamache-Asselin’s bodycam have been played, as well as audio from the bod-cam of Const. Ionut Mihuta, who arrested Bellefeuille. There are no visuals from Mihuta’s bodycam as it was obscured by his armoured vest.
These other exhibits have not yet been filed with the court and are therefore not available.
The trial resumes Monday with the cross-examination of Mihuta.
