The family of Abisay Cruz is questioning the use of a controversial restraint technique by Montreal police that contributed to his death. They are seeking clarity on why officers employed a method not endorsed by the police service during the intervention. Josué Cruz, Abisay’s brother, expressed a desire to comprehend the necessity of such force and why a different approach wasn’t taken given Abisay’s crisis situation.
Abisay, a father and the second youngest of five siblings, tragically passed away on March 30, 2025, following a police intervention in Montreal’s Saint-Michel neighborhood. The incident, captured on video, incited public outcry and amplified distrust towards law enforcement.
Josué Cruz lamented the profound impact of his brother’s death on their family, describing it as shattering. Witnessing Abisay being restrained, handcuffed, and subdued has left lasting scars on their family members, with the emotional wounds unlikely to heal.
According to the recently released report by coroner Géhane Kamel, the use of the hogtie technique by officers likely played a role in Abisay’s accidental death. This controversial method involves binding a person’s limbs behind their back while they are lying face down. Several police departments have either restricted or prohibited this technique due to safety and human rights concerns.
The intervention unfolded after reports of a distressed man on a balcony throwing objects into an alley. Abisay, facing deportation to Honduras and sleep-deprived for three days, exhibited a dangerously high level of cocaine in his system, alongside physical restraint, as contributing factors to his demise.
Despite efforts by officers to subdue Abisay, including keeping him pinned for over two minutes in a hogtie position, the coroner highlighted a lack of leadership in monitoring his deteriorating condition. Subsequent attempts at resuscitation by paramedics en route to the hospital proved futile as Abisay was pronounced dead.
The Montreal police, known as the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), and the provincial police academy, École nationale de police du Québec, do not endorse or teach the hogtie technique. SPVM emphasized training officers to recognize medical distress signs, especially in intoxicated individuals, and the urgency of medical assistance post-subjugation.
Calls for accountability and transparency have surfaced, with demands for a ban on the hogtie technique by the SPVM and the implementation of naloxone kits and body-worn cameras during crisis responses. Despite reassurances by the SPVM regarding disciplinary actions taken against involved officers and supervisors, questions persist on the unauthorized technique’s application.
Stephanie Germain, a community organizer, highlighted the need for a thorough investigation into police actions following the coroner’s findings. Josué Cruz echoed these sentiments, seeking comprehensive answers on police training, operational techniques, and accountability in his brother’s case.
Connecting Abisay’s death to a broader pattern of fatal police encounters in Montreal, including references to past incidents involving other victims, Josué Cruz emphasized the need to prevent such tragedies in the future.
