MONTREAL — Montreal police have told officers to stop using a controversial “hog-tie” restraint technique after a man’s death last year. Police management issued the directive after a Quebec coroner found the technique may have contributed to the death of 29-year-old Abisay Cruz during a 2025 intervention in Montreal. Deputy police chief Marc Charbonneau told a city council public security committee Wednesday that an internal notice was sent to officers following the publication of the coroner’s report, dated Aug. 12. Charbonneau said the restraint, which involves binding a person’s hands and feet behind their back, is not officially taught by Montreal police or Quebec’s provincial police academy. In her report, coroner Géhane Kamel concluded Cruz died from cocaine intoxication and probable positional asphyxia during the March 2025 police intervention. Kamel said it was ‘’highly likely’’ the position contributed to his death. Montreal police say they support the coroner’s recommendations and will continue reviewing the report and implementing them. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2026.
