An Inuk man is recovering from four gunshot wounds and faces 11 charges after a shooting spree and car chase early the morning of June 17 in Kuujjuarapik.
Markusie Weetaltuk, 18, was charged with sexual assault, attempted murder, several charges of mischief causing damage, dangerous driving, shooting a firearm inside town limits and dangerous use of a firearm.
The mayhem started around 4 a.m. after someone accused Weetaltuk of sexually assaulting a woman, according to Montreal Urban Community police commander André Bouchard, head of the department’s major-crimes unit, which was called in to investigate the incident – standard procedure in police shootings.
Weetaltuk’s mom went to get the Inuit police after her son fired a gun twice inside their house, said Bouchard. When the unarmed officers approached the house, Weetaltuk fired a 12-guage shotgun at them from a window, Bouchard said.
The officers retreated, but Weetaltuk started chasing them and hit one of the officers in the chest with a shotgun blast, Bouchard said.
Luckily it was buckshot and the officer wasn’t badly injured, he said. In all, five shotgun blasts were fired at the officers, Bouchard said.
Weetaltuk then proceeded to the local jail where he allegedly busted down a door to try to free two of his friends being held there. After failing to open the jail cell, he returned to his home, all the while followed by Inuit police officers, said Bouchard. By this point, they had called in Sûreté du Québec and Cree police for backup.
Weetaltuk managed to get to his car and took off with police in hot pursuit. “This is when the bumper cars started,” said Bouchard.
The cars knocked into each other for a little while, until eventually an SQ cruiser drove Weetaltuk off the road, said Bouchard. As the SQ officer approached, the suspect allegedly got out and pointed his shotgun at the officer, who dove under his own car.
An Inuk cop arrived and Weetaltuk swung his gun toward him, said Bouchard. During this whole time, police were allegedly screaming at Weetaltuk to put the gun down.
The SQ officer then fired three times at Weetaltuk with his sidearm, hitting him twice in the side and once in the front, said Bouchard. The Inuk cop also fired with a shotgun, hitting Weetaltuk in the left arm, according to Bouchard.
Bouchard said Weetaltuk did not fire at the officers after his car crashed, contrary to a report in The Montreal Gazette.
Weetaltuk, still alive but suffering grave injuries, was medevac’ed to a Montreal hospital. He was charged on June 20.
