Family grieving Montreal man’s death demands justice after police intervention

The family of Abisay Cruz is demanding to know why Montreal police used a controversial restraint method during the intervention that contributed to his death, saying a newly released coroner’s report failed to explain why officers applied a method the police service says it does not teach.

“We want to understand why such force was used and why his condition wasn’t handled differently,” Josué Cruz, Abisay’s brother, wrote in a lengthy email to CBC News.

“For us, what happened cannot simply be considered an intervention gone wrong. Abisay was in crisis and he needed help.”

Abisay, the second youngest of five siblings and the father of a young boy, died on March 30, 2025, after an intervention by police in the city’s Saint-Michel neighbourhood. Footage of the intervention sparked protests and heightened many people’s sense of distrust toward police.

“We have seen the videos. We saw how Abisay was restrained, handcuffed, and pinned to the ground,” he said.

Cruz said his family has been “completely destroyed” by his brother’s death.

“We have lost a son, a brother, a father, a family member who was loved by all,” he said.

“My mother, my father, and my older brother, who witnessed the scene, are to this day deeply traumatized. What happened vividly in front of our family has left us with wounds that will never disappear.”

In a report released earlier this week, coroner Géhane Kamel concluded that Abisay’s death was accidental, but that the hogtie technique used by officers to restrain him was a probable contributor.

Hogtie technique by Montreal police a ‘highly likely’ factor in man’s accidental death: coroner

The hogtie refers to a method of restraint involving binding someone’s limbs together behind their back while they lie on their stomach.

The technique is restricted or banned among several police departments due to “significant concerns regarding safety and respect for fundamental rights,” Kamel wrote.

The incident unfolded after police responded to calls of a man in distress on an apartment balcony. He had been throwing objects into an alley.

According to the report, Abisay had barely slept for three days as he faced deportation to Honduras. Toxicology results showed a highly toxic level of cocaine in his system, which the coroner cited alongside the physical restraint as a contributing factor to his death. 

Five officers tried to talk to Abisay and get him to stop resisting arrest. He was kept pinned face-down for more than two minutes before officers shifted him to his side, the coroner said.

While taking him down the stairs, Abisay was kept in a hogtie, with his legs pulled back toward his buttocks and his hands, still handcuffed behind his back, brought close to his feet. 

A paramedic who accompanied Abisay down the stairs recalled that he “did not appear to be moving, struggling or groaning,” according to the report.

The coroner noted a lack of leadership from a police sergeant on the scene, writing that the supervisor failed to step in as Abisay’s condition deteriorated.

Paramedics attempted CPR in the ambulance outside the apartment and on the way to the hospital, where he was declared dead.

Coroner cites restraint method by Montreal police as factor in Abisay Cruz’s death

Montreal police, officially known as the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), confirmed it does not teach the hogtie technique.

The provincial police academy, the École nationale de police du Québec, also does not teach the technique — and never has, a spokesperson told CBC News.

An SPVM spokesperson said its officers are “trained to recognize signs of medical distress, particularly in contexts of intoxication, as well as the importance of rapid medical care once a subject is subdued.”

“This concept is already included in several training programs; however, we will ensure that officers fully integrate this concept and are able to put it into practice when the situation requires it,” the statement said.

When asked by CBC News why officers applied an unauthorized technique and whether they faced consequences, an SPVM spokesperson declined to provide specifics, citing employee privacy.

The spokesperson said in an email that “action was taken” regarding the officers and supervisors involved following the events of March 2025.

In her report, Kamel called on the SPVM to officially ban the hogtie technique, and advised the police service to equip its officers with naloxone kits and to deploy body-worn cameras when responding to people in crisis.

The spokesperson said police will follow up on the recommendations.

Quebec’s prosecutors’ office announced it would not lay charges against officers last March, after the case was reviewed by the province’s police watchdog.

In a statement outlining its decision, the prosecution said the “responding officers used reasonable and minimal force to subdue the man, who offered no co-operation.” 

Stephanie Germain, a community organizer who helped lead a march in Abisay’s honour last year, said the coroner’s findings raise questions about police conduct.

“This is a big deal,” Germain said. “The government should investigate and give the community the answers that we need.”

In his email, Josué Cruz dismissed the SPVM’s assurances, saying he wonders why the hogtie technique “was used on Abisay and who made that decision” if the SPVM claims they do not teach it.

“We want clear answers about police training, the techniques used, and everyone’s responsibilities,” he said.

Montreal police officers could soon have body cameras

Cruz also connected his brother’s death to a broader history of fatal police interventions in the Montreal area, naming 18-year-old Fredy Villanueva and 15-year-old Nooran Rezayi. 

“A family should never have to watch a loved one die during a police intervention,” he said.