Montreal senior claims excessive force used by police over off-leash dog

Louis Rousseau, 78, says a Montreal police officer used excessive force during an arrest in the Plateau-Mont-Royal after he refused to leash his dog.

An elderly man claims Montreal police (SPVM) used excessive force during his arrest in the Plateau during a dispute over his dog being off leash.

Louis Rousseau likes to sing and walk around the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough with his dog, Cookie. But on Friday, while he was crossing the street, he says he was approached by a police officer.

“She rushed towards me and said, ‘Don’t move, put your dog on a leash,’” Rousseau said.

The 78-year-old says he told the officer he wasn’t going to do that and kept walking.

A video posted on social media shows parts of his interaction with police.

“So I did let go of my stick and then walk away. And then she ran after me with her pepper spray,” Rousseau said.

Goldie Marcoe says she saw what happened, adding she was shocked by the use of force.

“It was just a blatant display of violence,” Marcoe said.

This isn’t Rousseau’s first run-in with the SPVM. In 2022, he was also stopped for not having his dog on a leash.

He has been charged with resisting arrest.

That case is still before the courts, says his lawyer. But she also added that he was acquitted in other cases, including a case involving a violent interaction with police.

CTV News reached out to the Montreal police, which responded that it does not comment on specific cases, but adds anyone who feels they were unfairly treated can file a complaint with the SPVM or an independent organization.

A few days later, after CTV News shared Rousseau’s story, Montreal police wrote back with an updated statement.

“On May 9 at 4.20 p.m., a man was walking his dog off its leash. The dog ran towards a father and child,” the statement reads. “A policewoman asked the man to put his dog on a leash. The man refused to comply, behaved threateningly and hit the policewoman with a stick.”

It goes on to say that the officer arrested the man, and “as is the case in all situations involving the use of force, the arrest will be analyzed.”

Rousseau has been charged with assault with a weapon and is expected to appear in court on July 4.