Police chief defends force's handling of Montreal North protest

Montreal's police chief is standing by how officers handled a protestthat turned violentinMontreal Northafter facing backlashfrom its union.

The vigil and march to denounce the police shooting death of Bony Jean-Pierre, a 46-year-old black man, degenerated on the night of April 6.

A small group of protesters vandalized cars, set fire to abank and threw projectiles at a police station and YvesFrancoeur, the president of the Montreal Police Brotherhood,claims officers were given orders to stand down.

"There was a police strategy to be less visible," PhilippePichet, the chief of Montreal police,said.

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In a letter addressed to Mayor DenisCoderre, the union condemned the way the riot unfolded and police actions that followed.

"Know that police officers did not at all appreciate the order to keep their arms crossed," Francoeurwrote.

Mandate to 'do nothing'

Francoeur alsowrote the Montreal police's mandate to "do nothing" also sends the wrong message to criminals. He adds that 40 calls were made to 911 during the riot without any answer.

Pichetfired back, saying Francoeur's interest was to defend the interest of union members and not to carry out police operations.

He added that actions for that evening were co-ordinated but that officers can always intervene if a citizen's life is in danger.

"Officers don't need orders to intervene they have a duty to intervene," Pichet said.