Two Mountains Police chase car into Kanesatake

The Two Mountains Police veered far from their jurisdiction onto Kanesatake territory on Tuesday in a high-speed chase that ended with a crash on Ahsennénhson.

While the Surete du Quebec (SQ) provided assistance to the Two Mountains Police, a spokesperson for the SQ, Marc Tessier, directed all questions to the Two Mountains service, which did not respond to repeated requests for comment. There is no SQ investigation, Tessier said, declining to provide further information.

“They gave chase, and the guy ended up crashing the car and took off on foot,” said Kane Montour, coordinator of Kanesatake Perimeter Security (KPS), which was first alerted to the situation by police sirens rather than notification from either police service.

According to Montour, the chase began near the Highway 640 roundabout when Two Mountains police cruisers attempted a traffic stop, and the car, a black Hyundai Elantra, peeled off. The chase reached dangerous speeds as police pursued.

“From our knowledge, we were always told when they start to pull somebody over and they start reaching excess speeds of 100 KM/H, they call it off because it’s too dangerous. Anything can happen,” said Montour.

Montour said KPS has received a number of reports that the driver who sped away from police was a local man.

According to Montour, one SQ officer was seen with a high-powered rifle at the scene. While the barrel was pointed down, Montour said, many community members were upset, especially after feeling that the high-speed chase put Kanehsata’kehró:non in danger.

“Especially in that area where he crashed, you’re surrounded by elders in the community. In that area, there’s at least 10-12 elders that live in that immediate area,” Montour said.

As for KPS, Montour emphasized that Perimeter Security has a limited role in situations like this, and can serve the community by helping guide people away from where chases are happening.

“People have got to remember we’re not police officers, and it’s been told to us in the past in those situations, don’t put the team in harm’s way,” he said.

“We’re not trained in high-speed chases. We’re not trained in defensive driving, things like that. The last thing I want to see as a coordinator is any of my team members getting hurt as a result of a police chase for something as little as a traffic infraction.”

A video shows two Two Mountains police cruisers following the vehicle into the parking lot of a local business at one point as the driver lets out a passenger, with the police pursuing without stopping and coming very close to the car  as it began driving away, all in proximity to the passenger and an above-ground gas tank.

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Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter