MONTREAL — A 15-year-old boy was shot dead by Longueuil police in September, triggering an investigation into how the police force just south of Montreal handled the fatal call.
But new allegations have surfaced suggesting the police force attempted to interfere with the independent investigation.
The allegations were raised in newly released correspondence exchanged between a police watchdog, the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI), and the Longueuil police chief.
Longueuil Mayor Catherine Fournier released the correspondence this week, calling on the province’s public safety minister to launch a separate investigation into actions taken by police after the shooting that claimed the life of Nooran Rezayi.
Public Security Minister Ian Lafrenière says he’s considering her request.
The allegations have not been tested in court.
Below are some key times as established through correspondence made public and legal documents linked to the Sept. 21 shooting and in the months that have followed:
Sept. 21, 2025, at 2:47 p.m. — Longueuil police receive a 911 call alleging masked, armed individuals were roaming a residential neighbourhood in the city’s St-Hubert borough.
2:58 p.m. — Longueuil police arrive on scene. A video released by lawyers representing Rezayi’s family appears to show the teenager was shot within 10 seconds of police parking their cruiser on the scene.
3:01 p.m. — Officers confirm on police radio communications that there are no other armed suspects at the scene. BEI director Brigitte Bishop would later write in a letter that this was the moment when Longueuil police should have contacted the watchdog about the civilian being shot.
3:11 p.m. — Rezayi is transported to hospital.
3:15 p.m. — The professional standards division of the police force is advised by a supervisor of the shooting.
3:26 p.m. — Longueuil police say they received another call regarding an armed youth a few kilometres away. No other armed suspects are apprehended. At this time, Bishop alleges police officers would have also began questioning witnesses.
3:29 p.m. — Rezayi is declared dead.
3:36 p.m. — Officers confirm news of Rezayi’s death on internal police radio communications.
4:34 p.m. — The BEI is informed by Longueuil police of shooting, one hour and 36 minutes after the shooting.
4:54 p.m. — The BEI investigation formally begins.
6:22 p.m. — Longueuil police conclude meeting witnesses and collecting statements from up to 16 civilians. These allegedly include questions about police actions and requests for video footage.
8:30 p.m. — According to a proposed lawsuit filed by the Rezayi family, they were only informed Nooran was in hospital around this time.
Sept. 22, 2025 — Two witnesses tell The Canadian Press that prior to the shooting, the group of young people told them they were going to shoot a movie in a nearby wooded area. They said a few minutes later, shots were fired and one of the witnesses said she saw a bloodied teenager lying in the street.
Sept. 23, 2025 — The BEI holds a news conference about the shooting. The event is unusual since the watchdog typically releases reports at the end of investigations and rarely comments on ongoing cases. The watchdog says there was only one firearm seized at the scene by the watchdog’s investigators, and it belonged to the officer who shot the teenager. BEI investigators seized a baseball bat, a backpack and ski masks, but no sharp-edged weapons. At the time, Bishop asked the public to collaborate with the BEI after learning individuals were conducting “private investigations.”
Sept. 23, 2025 — Montreal police announce a parallel criminal investigation two days after the event.
Nov. 5, 2025 — A letter from Bishop is sent to the Longueuil police chief raising concerns about why it took over 90 minutes for police to report the shooting to the watchdog. Her letter also notes that BEI investigators have learned Longueuil police officers met with witnesses.
Nov. 11, 2025 — Longueuil police chief Patrick Bélanger responds to the BEI, saying the delay in notifying the watchdog was warranted given the circumstances on the ground. He explains that a rule requiring a police force to notify the BEI of an incident “without delay” does not mean informing the watchdog immediately after an incident.
Nov. 25, 2025 — BEI director Bishop responds to Longueuil police chief, rejecting his reasoning for not calling in the watchdog sooner. She also raises concerns about the actions of officers in the aftermath of the shooting, noting that police officers need to follow the rules regarding independent investigations in order to maintain public trust.
Dec. 8, 2025 — Rezayi’s family announces they’ve filed a $2.2 million civil suit against the City of Longueuil over the teenager’s killing.
Dec. 11, 2025 — Longueuil Mayor Catherine Fournier sends a letter to the Quebec Public Security minister seeking an independent investigation into the timeline of events provided by her own police force.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2025.
Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press
