Canadian police fatally shoot 15-year-old teen

According to CBC and The Globe and Mail, Quebec provincial police opened fire within seconds of arriving at the scene after receiving a report about a gathering of several teenagers.

Efforts by paramedics to save the boy’s life were unsuccessful, and he was later pronounced dead in hospital.

The head of Quebec’s police oversight body announced that an investigation will be conducted into the death of the 15-year-old, who was killed by police officers’ gunfire.

According to the agency’s report, the only weapon recovered at the scene of the deadly shooting belonged to the police. Investigators are currently analyzing the firearm found at the site.

Quebec police stated that the officer responsible for the shooting has been placed on indefinite administrative leave.

The director of the province’s Independent Investigations Office, in a rare press conference on Tuesday, said that his unit will carry out an impartial inquiry into the death of the Afghan-origin teenager.

The family of the teenager said they are facing serious questions and have received almost no information since the shooting of their son.

The shooting of a teenage student by Canadian police in British Columbia last winter had already raised serious questions about the use of force by law enforcement in the country.

Following that incident, Canadian police faced a wave of criticism and protests. Police officials argued that when officers are placed in high-pressure situations, they must make difficult decisions in just a few seconds — a factor they claimed increases the likelihood of errors.

A criminology professor at the University of Alberta, who researches police use of force, pointed out that while officers are legally authorized to use a wide range of force, including lethal force, the key question is whether the police could have done more to de-escalate in their interaction with this teenager.