Michel Boucher, 51, was arrested Thursday after trying to stab the victim, a 46-year-old woman in the context of domestic violence. The suspect was first arrested earlier in the evening at the crime scene before being released. Therefore, the Office of Independent Investigations (EIB) launched an independent investigation on Friday morning.
Michel Boucher appeared briefly in the Quebec courthouse on Friday.
He faces eight charges including attempted murder, aggravated assault, assault causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon and breach of promise.
But the indictment also reveals that between April 24 and 25, ten days before attempting to stab the victim, Michel Boucher would have committed assault
towards the latter, in particular trying to choke or strangle
.
attempted murder
On Thursday night, the Quebec City Police Service (SPVQ) arrested the 51-year-old man for the first time for assault, breach of probation and breaking and entering an apartment building on Sainte-Cécile Street, near Fargy Park.
The suspect was later released on a promise to appear, with conditions prohibiting him from communicating with the victim. He then allegedly left the scene in a taxi, under the supervision of police officers from the SPVQreports the Office of Independent Investigations (EIB).
So he SPVQ he was called again to intervene in the same place around 11 at night. The woman was said to have been stabbed this time by the suspect, who returned to the scene.
The victim, who left the residence alone to seek help, sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The suspect was arrested for the second time in as many hours by police.
According to our information, a young girl was present at the residence where the assault occurred. She would have been entrusted to relatives.
known to police
Michel Boucher also has a long criminal record, particularly for robberies and break-ins.
He has 35 criminal records since 1988, including 18 between 2020 and 2021. He had been on parole since November, after being convicted on that date for a series of crimes.
The most significant conviction in his case was for fraud for which he was sentenced to 15 months in prison, a sentence that he had already served in preventive detention.
Rapid intervention
Christian Langlois, who lives on the third floor of the apartment building, did not expect such a tragedy a stone’s throw from his house at all. He was quietly watching hockey on television when he heard screaming outside around 11 p.m.
Stepping out onto his balcony, he saw the woman who lives in one of the ground-floor apartments. She was in rue Sainte-Cécile, barefoot.
The victim then told her to stay home due to the potential danger posed by her spouse. She asked him for help anyway.
Rescuers arrived at the scene about five minutes after Langlois called 911, according to the latter’s testimony.
a quiet neighborhood
Christian Langlois was visibly surprised that such an event had occurred in his neighborhood.
The last time anything happened here was a fire around the corner and that was five years ago.
emphasizes the witness, whose intervention could have saved the life of the victim.
Other neighbors say the victim had lived in the building for less than a year. They had noticed the presence of her husband in recent months.
the EIB poll
Seven researchers from EIB try to shed light on this story. The parallel investigation was entrusted to the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), which will also act as a police support service.
Why was the defendant released after being arrested for the first time? The researchers will try to answer this question.
An Office of Independent Investigations van (file)
Photo: Radio-Canada
the EIB analyze what information was available when they had to make that decision
explains André Gélinas, a former Montreal Police Service detective sergeant.
” If the police had had that intimate conviction that what happened was about to happen, that individual would never have been released. »
With the collaboration of David Rémillard, Raphaël Beaumont-Drouin, Yannick Bergeron and Camille Carpentier
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