MONTREAL — A Quebec coroner is urging Montreal police to review its restraint and use of force practices following the 2025 death of a 29-year-old man. According to Géhane Kamel’s report dated Aug. 12, police use of a hog-tie restraint technique likely contributed to the death of Abisay Cruz. Kamel determined Cruz had toxic levels of cocaine in his bloodstream when he died and ruled the death as being accidental. However, she said Cruz was held on his stomach with his limbs tied behind his back for more than two minutes, which poses serious risk for asphyxiation. “For my part, taking into account the well-documented intoxication leads me to conclude that it is highly likely that the restraint contributed to the death,” Kamel wrote. Kamel noted that the hog-tie technique is “widely discouraged” and is restricted or banned within several police and medical organizations due to its documented association with deaths in custody and “significant concerns regarding safety and respect for fundamental rights.” The coroner wrote that she met with nine officers who were directly involved in the incident with Cruz. Police were called to the scene to respond to a man who appeared to be agitated on a balcony in March 2025, throwing objects into an alley. Five of the officers were on the balcony, attempting to talk to Cruz and get him to stop resisting arrest before they placed restraints on his hands and feet, the report said. Officers then called for paramedics, before carrying Cruz, unconscious and handcuffed, downstairs to an ambulance, accompanied by a single paramedic, according to the report. The coroner noted he did not touch the ground as he was carried. Cruz was then handcuffed to a gurney, which the coroner said is “strictly forbidden.” He was pronounced dead in hospital after paramedics attempted CPR. Montreal police says it reviewed Kamel’s report and pledged to rigorously follow up on her recommendations. In an email, police said the “hands and feet bound” technique used by the officers is not taught at Quebec’s police school nor by Montreal police training. It added that the Ministry of Internal Security provides guidance on use of force, including restraint methods. The police statement did not provide an explanation for the actions of the officers who restrained Cruz. Kamel said the risk of asphyxia is exacerbated during police interventions. She wrote that prolonged physical restraint, the use of body weight by officers, active resistance, and the intense stress of the situation simultaneously increase oxygen demand while reducing the respiratory capacity of the person being restrained. She said officers should have moved Cruz to his side as soon as possible, even if he was still agitated. In her recommendations, Kamel urged Montreal police to ensure its officers are able to recognize signs of medical distress, especially when in cases involving intoxication. She noted a sergeant was present and should have provided better directives to the officers. Montreal police said officers are trained to recognize medical distress and the importance of prompt medical care, “but (it) will ensure that officers fully internalize this concept and are able to apply it when the situation requires it.” Kamel’s recommendations also include implementing body cameras for police officers, as police and witness accounts of the events leading to Cruz’s death differ significantly. Officers reported that Cruz charged at the first officer who arrived on the balcony and that the officer responded by kicking him in the stomach and tackling him to the ground to handcuff him. Police also said Cruz hit his head against the balcony’s metal structure and that they placed a pillow under him to prevent further injury. But witnesses, including Cruz’s family, say Cruz was sat with his hands in the air, seemingly wanting to communicate with the officers who then kicked him in the stomach, head, and face before tackling him. Cruz’s mother said officers continued to hit him after he was handcuffed. The mother said she begged the officers to stop and told them her son needed help and was in an altered state of mind. She said Cruz seemed afraid and told her “I don’t want to die.” According to Cruz’s family, he was under duress as he was in the midst of deportation proceedings to Honduras. They described him as an affectionate man who was very devoted to his loved ones and maintained close ties with his family. Kamel wrote that the police intervention was necessary as Cruz was in crisis and it was reasonable for officers to consider him a threat to himself and to others. But, she added that video suggests the intervention was “not optimal.” The coroner said videos taken by witnesses provide a limited picture of the intervention and that body cameras would “significantly” improve transparency. Kamel also gave recommendations to the provincial health agency, Santé Québec. She said paramedics should have taken over as soon as they arrived on the scene to check his vitals, rather than let officers carry him to the ambulance. The coroner believes Cruz went into respiratory arrest while officers carried him downstairs. She said it is “heartbreaking” that advanced care paramedics were not available at that moment as they have more in-depth expertise than other first responders. Santé Québec said it has taken note of the coroner’s recommendations and is reviewing them before sending an official response. “These findings call for a collective reflection on shared responsibilities within Quebec society,” wrote Kamel. “Public institutions must continue their efforts to ensure transparency, rigour, and accountability in order to maintain public trust.” Quebec’s independent police watchdog also investigated Cruz’s death and submitted findings to public prosecutors, who opted not to pursue charges. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 20, 2026. Erika Morris, The Canadian Press
