A senior British police officer has confirmed that forces across the UK are studying the tactics used in a Montreal shooting that left an officer, a civilian, and a suspect dead. The incident, which unfolded on a busy Montreal street last week, has prompted an urgent review of firearms training and response protocols in Britain.
The Montreal shooting began when officers responded to a domestic disturbance call. Within minutes, the situation escalated into a crossfire involving multiple armed individuals. The suspect, a 34-year-old man with a history of violence, was fatally shot by police. But a 42-year-old female bystander and a 29-year-old police constable were also killed. Three other officers remain in hospital.
Commander John Patterson of the National Police Chiefs' Council said: "We are looking very closely at the Montreal incident. The loss of life is a tragedy. But we must learn from what happened. Our officers face split-second decisions with live ammunition. We need to understand how the situation escalated so quickly and whether different tactics could have saved lives."
The review comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of armed police in Britain. Only 5% of British police officers carry firearms, compared to nearly all in the United States and Canada. But the number of armed deployments has risen by 69% over the past five years, driven by an increase in violent crime and the threat of terrorism.
Critics argue that the growing reliance on armed units is eroding community policing. "Every time a police officer pulls a trigger, it's a failure of something else," said Dr. Rachel Hughes, a criminologist at the University of Leeds. "Better mental health services, more investment in youth programmes, stronger gun control. We can't just focus on the tactical response."
But officers on the ground say they are being asked to do more with less. "We've had cuts to neighbourhood policing, cuts to social services, cuts to everything," said Constable Mark Thompson, a firearms officer in Manchester. "When we get that call, we have to be ready for anything. If studying Montreal saves one life, it's worth it."
The Montreal police force has not yet released its full after-action report. But early analysis suggests that the suspect may have been targeting the female bystander, a former partner. Officers were caught in a complex urban environment with multiple civilians in the line of fire.
"The lesson from Montreal is that every callout is a potential ambush," said Commander Patterson. "We are training our officers to expect the unexpected. To move quickly, to secure the perimeter, to communicate constantly. We never want a situation where officers or civilians pay the ultimate price."
The government has promised to invest £50 million in new firearms training facilities. But unions warn that more equipment is not a substitute for better strategy. "Our members want to go home at night," said John O'Brien, chair of the Police Federation. "If studying Montreal helps them do that, fine. But don't forget that the best way to prevent shootings is to not have them in the first place."
As the sun set over a rainy Manchester streets, Constable Thompson checked his equipment for the night shift. "Every day we put on this vest, we hope we never have to use it. But we're ready. We have to be."
