The parents of a man facing a second-degree murder charge say tragedy could have been avoided had Quebec City police listened to their pleas for help.
Lucie Drouin and Daniel Lebel told a news conference today they called police on April 4 to seek help for their son, Kim Lebel, who was experiencing a mental health crisis.
Drouin says police spent 20 minutes with 30-year-old Lebel before deciding they didn’t need to intervene, despite his parents’ insistence they were afraid of what their son might do.
Drouin says she and her husband got a court order for a psychiatric evaluation for their son two days later and went to police urging them to act quickly, insisting he posed a danger to society.
The parents say police arrived at the residence some four hours later, shortly after a number of people called 911 to report Lebel had allegedly attacked and killed 65-year-old Jacques Côté.
Quebec’s police watchdog has launched an investigation into the actions of city police involved in the case.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 18, 2022.