Montreal’s police chief is defending his police force after charges were suddenly dropped against a man accused of attempted murder of an officer.
Sylvain Caron said today in a statement that police officers followed all proper procedures in investigating the alleged attack on the officer on Jan 28, calling the probe exceptionally complex.
Prosecutors on Wednesday dropped all charges against Mamadi III Fara Camara after evidence surfaced exonerating him — and after he spent a week in detention.
Camara was arrested after a police officer was allegedly disarmed and attacked following a traffic stop in Montreal’s Parc-Extension borough and charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault of a peace officer, disarming a peace officer and illegally discharging a firearm.
Police say an analysis of the evidence, including a video, suggests the presence of an additional person at the crime scene.
Quebec’s opposition political parties, municipal politicians and a civil rights organization are calling for an independent investigation into the incident.