Quebec coroner recommends Montreal police review use of force after 2025 death

Montreal police are being urged to review their restraint and use of force practices following the 2025 death of Abisay Cruz. A report by Quebec coroner Géhane Kamel, dated August 12, indicates that the police's use of a hogtie restraint technique likely played a role in the 29-year-old's demise.

Kamel's investigation determined that Cruz had toxic levels of cocaine in his bloodstream at the time of his death. However, she also highlighted that Cruz had been held on his stomach with his limbs tied behind his back for over two minutes, a position that carries a significant risk of asphyxiation.

Police were initially called to the scene in March 2025 due to a report of a man appearing agitated on a balcony. Cruz was pronounced dead at a hospital after the intervention by law enforcement. The coroner's findings prompt a critical look at the methods employed by officers in such situations.