Friends, family gather to mourn Brandon Maurice, teen killed after Quebec police pursuit
Montreal police investigating after teen died Nov. 16 of gunshot wound
Friends and family of 17-year-old Brandon Maurice grieved and expressed disbelief Saturday that such a "great guy" could have died in a police pursuit last week.
"It's not fair. He's not supposed to die," said Fabiola Odette, one of hundreds of people who gathered in Messines, Que., Saturday afternoon for the teen's funeral.
"Brandon was a great guy — smart, intelligent."
Maurice died of a gunshot wound on Nov. 16 after an early morning police pursuit involving a Sûreté du Québec officer ended in the municipality of Messines, just south of Maniwaki.
The investigation into what happened that morning has been taken over by Montreal police.
- Brandon Maurice, 17, identified as teen who died after Sûreté du Québec pursuit
- Teen dies from gunshot wound near Maniwaki, Que., after police pursuit
A Montreal police spokesperson has said that the suspect vehicle had stopped and a Sûreté du Québec officer had exited his cruiser to approach the driver.
At some point, the driver accelerated and the officer ended up being dragged alongside the vehicle. He then fired his weapon in the driver's direction, according to Montreal police.
Maurice was taken to hospital in critical condition after the shooting. He died later that afternoon.
'The most fatal weapon'
On Saturday, mourners had questions about how the pursuit came to such a violent end and why the officer felt the need to discharge his firearm.
"It's about the use of power," said Eric Raymond, who knew Maurice's family well.
"Just the fact that the police officer used the weapon. It's the most fatal weapon. It's the last resource situation," he said.
Amy Baker had no explanation for how such a happy-go-lucky person like Maurice could have died the way he did.
"I can't explain really. I just feel it's not fair," she said. "Brandon always had a smile on his face and we'll always remember him as a smiling person and that's the memory we'll have of him."
The officer was taken to hospital for shock after the shooting, police said. A second person in the suspect vehicle was not injured.
The investigation is ongoing.