A recent coroner’s report revealed that the death of a 29-year-old man, Abisay Cruz, after a confrontation with the police was accidental. However, the use of a restraining technique called the “hogtie technique” by the officers was identified as a likely contributing factor to his demise.
Abisay Cruz passed away on March 30, 2025, following an incident that initiated on a back balcony in the Saint-Michel neighborhood of the city. This incident was one of two casualties resulting from separate Montreal police operations within a 12-hour timeframe over that weekend. His death and the dissemination of footage depicting parts of the altercation on social media triggered protests in the area and exacerbated public distrust of law enforcement.
The “hogtie technique” involves binding an individual’s limbs behind their back while they are lying face down and is a contentious method used by the police. According to Coroner Géhane Kamel, Cruz’s death was primarily due to cocaine intoxication and likely positional asphyxia during the police intervention.
Kamel highlighted in her report that the hogtie technique is strongly discouraged and even prohibited by various police and medical entities due to its association with deaths in custody and serious safety and human rights concerns. She emphasized that the use of this technique significantly contributed to Cruz’s tragic outcome.
In her findings, Kamel described Cruz as the second youngest among five siblings and portrayed by his loved ones as a caring individual closely connected to his family. Leading up to his demise, Cruz faced potential deportation to Honduras, a situation that likely imposed considerable stress on him.
On the day of the incident, a 911 call reported a distressed individual, later identified as Cruz, near Pie-IX Boulevard and 47th Street. While the police asserted that Cruz posed an immediate physical threat, other witnesses contradicted this account, with one witness claiming that Cruz was cooperative and non-threatening before the situation escalated.
Kamel acknowledged the perceived threat to both the apartment occupants and Cruz himself. Five officers were involved in restraining Cruz, with concerns raised about the prolonged face-down restraint and the lack of leadership from a supervising officer as Cruz’s health deteriorated.
The Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI), Quebec’s independent police oversight body, investigated Cruz’s death and decided not to press criminal charges against the officers involved. However, Kamel criticized the police response, recommending a ban on the hogtie technique and the adoption of measures such as equipping officers with naloxone kits and deploying body-worn cameras in crisis situations.
Montreal police affirmed their commitment to implementing the recommendations, clarifying that the hogtie technique is not part of their training curriculum. Alain Babineau, a former RCMP staff sergeant now with The Red Coalition, expressed concerns over the findings, questioning the enforcement of outdated techniques within the force.
The report also scrutinized the response from Urgences-santé, citing recurrent service shortages on the day of Cruz’s passing, with only one advanced paramedic team available for the entire island of Montreal, as per Kamel’s observations.
