Accused Quebec City cop recalls the events that killed cyclist
Guy Blouin, 48, was killed in 2014 when a police cruiser fatally struck him on a one-way street
On Sept. 3, 2014, 48-year-old Guy Blouin was riding on Saint-François, a one-way street in the Saint-Roch neighbourhood of Quebec City at around 1 p.m. in the afternoon. Going the wrong way on that one-way street, a police cruiser parked diagonally, attempting to intercept him.
According to court testimony reported by the CBC, the police officer driving the Ford Crown Victoria cruiser, Simon Beaulieu, noted that the rider, whom he allegedly suspected as being involved in two attempted bike thefts that day, didn’t stop. So he started backing up. Even so, Blouin kept moving.
When Beaulieu hit the brakes, he said, it was too late. Reversing at 44 kilometres per hour according to estimates by the Sûreté du Québec, something the accused disputed, the cruiser fatally struck Blouin, rolling over him.
The 48-year-old cyclist died 20 minutes later.
By the accused’s own admission, he and his partner had not activated the cruiser’s lights and siren before attempting to intercept Blouin. The anti-lock braking system also wasn’t working properly, he testified; the Crown Victoria’s tires slid on the sidewalk. When the cruiser rolled over Blouin, Bealieu told the court, it was because he had assumed that he was stuck under the cruiser’s fenders after having heard his screams and inched forward, not realizing the situation.
For Beaulieu, whose last day as a patrol officer in Quebec City was the day of Blouin’s death, he was promoted to sergeant-detective after a three-week leave following the incident. He was then assigned to desk work when charges of criminal negligence and dangerous driving were filed against him. The fateful moment was “horrible,” he recalled.
“I understand it was a horrible thing to witness,” he told the court, becoming visibly emotional according to reports published by the CBC. “I never thought I’d do something like this in my career.”
In court, Beaulieu was asked if he considered that his attempts to use his vehicle to intercept a cyclist might be considered dangerous for other pedestrians or drivers. Responding to the cross-examination, Beaulieu told Crown prosecutor Michaël Bourget that he had “a good view of the area,” according to the CBC.
“He knew we wanted him to stop,” Bealieu said. “There isn’t a doubt in my mind.”
