Violent police cases need outside eye, Quebec told

Montreal's mayor joined Quebec's ombudsman on Friday in renewingthe call for an independent probe of violent police-related incidents, in the wake of apolice shootingthis week that killed a knife-wielding homeless man as well as a bystander on his way to work.

Ombudsman Raymonde Saint-Germain said civilians must be included in investigations involving such incidents to eliminate the appearance of bias.

A civilian body examining police-related incidents that lead to death or serious injury would bring much-needed impartiality to reviews of alleged police wrongdoing, Saint-Germain said.

Mayor Grald Tremblay agreed thatan overhaul of the current procedureswas necessary to neutralizeany perceptions of policefavouritism by their colleagues.

'Question of perception'

"Unfortunately, it takes tragic events to accelerate a sense of urgency," he said. "I hope we won't wait longer to find a solution, because it's a question of credibility, and it's a question of perception."

Tremblay said city council passed a unanimous motion last year supporting the idea, but the decision ultimately rests with the province.

Quebec Premier Jean Charest said Friday that Public Safety Minister Robert Dutil would be examining whether the civilian body would be introduced.

"Like every other Quebecer, we were saddened this week with what happened in Montreal. In particular we were saddened for the families who are affected by those events. We want the investigation to follow its course," he added.

Warns of police prejudice

The ombudsman first recommended changing the current system last year, calling for the establishment of a special investigations bureau chaired by a civilian.

In herreport to the Quebec National Assembly, Saint-Germain argued that "police solidarity" might otherwise skew rulings as officers try to protect their colleagues.

On Tuesday, police fired at and fatally wounded Mario Hamel, a homeless man brandishing a knife, but a stray bullet also killed 36-year-old Patrick Limoges, a hospital employee across the street.

Limoges was just steps away from work when he wasshot in the headnear Ste-Catherine Street.

4 officers not yet interviewed

The police department's handling of the standoff drew fierce criticism from the public and Limoges's friends, who asked why other measures such asa Taser were notused before officers resorted to deadly forceagainst Hamel.

Following the incident, hundreds ofdemonstrators protesting police brutality marched through Montreal's downtown core. Some hurled projectiles and paint, damaging property.

Quebec provincial police are probing Tuesday's deaths. As is protocol, any shooting in which a police officer's gun is fired is investigated by an outside police force.

Guy Lapointe, a spokesman for Sret du Qubec, said the four Montreal officers involved in the incident wereexpected to be interviewed in the next few days.