Whisper
August 11th, 2008, 03:23 AM
MONTREAL — Montreal police continued a cat-and-mouse game with bands of roving youths early Monday after several hours of violence that included cars being burned, widespread looting and exploding propane tanks as residents reacted to the shooting of a young man by police.
Several hundred police officers fanned out trying to track down an undetermined number of youths who began setting fires in the north-end neighbourhood late Sunday before scampering off .
Fire trucks arriving to fight the blazes in the borough of Montreal North were pelted with beer bottles, while bus shelters were trashed.
People of all ages were seen looting stores, with computers and TVs among the more popular items.
Montreal police spokesman Ian Lafreniere said two police officers and an ambulance technician suffered minor injuries. One of the officers was shot in the leg.
"We don't fear for their lives," he said.
The ambulance technician was injured when he was hit in the head by a Molotov cocktail.
Police had made some arrests by 3 a.m. but were unable to give many details.
Montreal North is a multi-ethnic borough where tensions between residents and police have simmered in the past.
"There's definitely a problem," said borough Mayor Marcel Parent. "We've got to fix this."
The catalyst for the violence was the shooting by police on Saturday of three people, including an 18-year-old man who died.
The man, identified by his sister as Freddy Alberto Villanueva, died from his wounds in hospital.
The other two, an 18-and a 20-year-old, were listed in stable condition.
Montreal police say the officers were trying to arrest an individual during a routine intervention in Henri Bourassa Park when they were surrounded by a group of about 20 youths.
A few individuals allegedly broke away from the group and rushed the officers.
According to police, one of the officers then opened fire.
The officers were not wounded in the Saturday incident.
Quebec provincial police have taken over the investigation into the shootings.
"We do think there are many witnesses, because at that time, around 7 p.m., there were a lot of people in the park or in the surroundings of the park," said Quebec provincial police spokesman Gregory Gomez del Prado.
"There were also people who were part of the altercation, and many people playing sports or just sitting in the park," he said.
"It's too early to say what happened exactly. We're talking about the death of a man. It's a major investigation."
Villanueva's sister, Julissa, said in an interview from nearby Laval that family members want answers.
"We only know what we see in the news, in the newspapers, that's all," she said, breaking into tears as she spoke about her brother, a student who wanted to become a mechanic.
Several hundred police officers fanned out trying to track down an undetermined number of youths who began setting fires in the north-end neighbourhood late Sunday before scampering off .
Fire trucks arriving to fight the blazes in the borough of Montreal North were pelted with beer bottles, while bus shelters were trashed.
People of all ages were seen looting stores, with computers and TVs among the more popular items.
Montreal police spokesman Ian Lafreniere said two police officers and an ambulance technician suffered minor injuries. One of the officers was shot in the leg.
"We don't fear for their lives," he said.
The ambulance technician was injured when he was hit in the head by a Molotov cocktail.
Police had made some arrests by 3 a.m. but were unable to give many details.
Montreal North is a multi-ethnic borough where tensions between residents and police have simmered in the past.
"There's definitely a problem," said borough Mayor Marcel Parent. "We've got to fix this."
The catalyst for the violence was the shooting by police on Saturday of three people, including an 18-year-old man who died.
The man, identified by his sister as Freddy Alberto Villanueva, died from his wounds in hospital.
The other two, an 18-and a 20-year-old, were listed in stable condition.
Montreal police say the officers were trying to arrest an individual during a routine intervention in Henri Bourassa Park when they were surrounded by a group of about 20 youths.
A few individuals allegedly broke away from the group and rushed the officers.
According to police, one of the officers then opened fire.
The officers were not wounded in the Saturday incident.
Quebec provincial police have taken over the investigation into the shootings.
"We do think there are many witnesses, because at that time, around 7 p.m., there were a lot of people in the park or in the surroundings of the park," said Quebec provincial police spokesman Gregory Gomez del Prado.
"There were also people who were part of the altercation, and many people playing sports or just sitting in the park," he said.
"It's too early to say what happened exactly. We're talking about the death of a man. It's a major investigation."
Villanueva's sister, Julissa, said in an interview from nearby Laval that family members want answers.
"We only know what we see in the news, in the newspapers, that's all," she said, breaking into tears as she spoke about her brother, a student who wanted to become a mechanic.