‘Montreal is crying’: Slain police officer honoured with ceremony at Bell Centre, procession of thousands
The sound of bagpipes drifted through downtown Montreal Tuesday morning as thousands of uniformed first responders moved slowly toward the Bell Centre.
Behind a wreath of white flowers, the family of Const. Mohamed Lamine Benredouane led a procession through the city’s core, while crowds lined the streets several rows deep under bright blue skies. Officers stood at attention as the march passed, some raising salutes, others wiping away tears.
The procession came two weeks after Benredouane, 34, was fatally shot while responding to reports of an armed man near Trans Island and de Courtrai Aves. in Côte-des-Neiges on June 22.
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Two others died during the shootout: civilian Michel Mizrahi and suspected shooter Seth Scott Hatfield. A second officer and another civilian were injured.
Benredouane’s shooting marked the first death of a Montreal police officer in the line of duty since Const. Benoît L’Écuyer was fatally shot in 2002. SPVM officials said about 5,000 police officers, firefighters and paramedics registered to take part in Tuesday’s memorial events.
Benredouane is survived by his wife, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child, and their three-year-old son.
At the front of the procession, an officer carried Benredouane’s police cap atop a ceremonial cushion while family members and loved ones followed closely behind.
The march began at Montreal police headquarters at 10 a.m.; more than an hour later, first responders were still making their way toward the Bell Centre. Rows of officers stretched block after block through downtown streets, creating a near-continuous stream of uniforms moving toward the arena.
The family of Const. Mohamed Lamine Benredouane led a procession through downtown Montreal. Allen McInnis / Montreal Gazette
Police service officials from across Quebec and elsewhere in Canada joined SPVM officers for the procession, marching alongside firefighters and paramedics in a show of solidarity.
Overhead, Canadian Armed Forces helicopters passed across the downtown skyline as the procession made its way through the city.
Along the route, spectators gathered behind barriers and on sidewalks, many holding phones aloft to capture the moment. Others stood quietly, watching as the procession passed beneath giant Quebec and Canadian flags suspended between two Montreal fire department ladder trucks.
“I think Montreal is crying, and Montreal was present,” Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada said before the ceremony. “It was a moment of silence, dignity and solidarity.”
Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette speaks during the ceremony for fallen police officer Mohamed Lamine Benredouane at the Bell Centre in Montreal, on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. Tim Snow / Montreal Gazette
Premier Christine Fréchette described Benredouane as a hero.
“Because of his courage, he saved many lives,” she said. “We would have probably faced an even greater tragedy had he not shown the courage he showed.”
Inside the Bell Centre, officers from Station 26, where Benredouane served, filled sections nearest the ceremonial area. Colleagues exchanged embraces and quiet words as mourners continued to stream into the arena.
The crowd rose as a bagpiper entered carrying the ceremonial flag. Officers raised their hands in salute and held them there in silence as the flag was presented.
Moments later, Benredouane’s police cap was carried into the arena and placed at the front of the ceremonial space.
Chief Inspector David Shane described the cap as the ceremony’s most important symbol — a reminder of both the officer being honoured and the duty he carried throughout his career.
Across the arena, officers clasped colleagues’ shoulders and stood arm in arm as the service got underway.
Then the room fell silent.
Const. Mohamed Lamine Benredouane was remembered in a ceremony at the Bell Centre on July 7, 2026. Tim Snow / Montreal Gazette
The ceremony opened with a verse from the Qur’an chosen by Benredouane’s family.
“And whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity,” a family member read.
Family tributes that followed were among the day’s most emotional moments.
“My brother was an extraordinary person,” Benredouane’s sister Amira said. “I will always be proud of you, proud of the child you were, proud of the man you became.”
His sister Lina told mourners that while his duty was over, his memory will endure.
Const. Mohamed Lamine Benredouane’s brother Ahmed speaks alongside sisters Amira, left, and Lina during a memorial ceremony at the Bell Centre on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. Tim Snow / Montreal Gazette
For Benredouane’s identical twin brother, Ahmed, the loss was deeply personal.
Ahmed, a Canada Border Services Agency officer who attended the ceremony in uniform, described his brother as more than a sibling.
“He wasn’t just my brother — he was a part of me,” he said.
Speaking directly to his brother, Ahmed promised to care for the wife, unborn child and young son he leaves behind.
“They’ll never be alone,” he said.
Later, as Coldplay’s Yellow echoed through the Bell Centre, Chief Inspector Shane invited mourners to “light up the stars.”
Cellphone flashlights appeared across the crowd, transforming the arena into what looked like a night sky.
For several moments, the only light came from the stars created by the crowd.
Cellphone lights are held up during a memorial ceremony for fallen Montreal police officer Mohamed Lamine Benredouane at the Bell Centre on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. Tim Snow / Montreal Gazette
Yves Francoeur, president of the Montreal Police Brotherhood, paid tribute to Benredouane during the ceremony.
The tribute also honoured the other officer shot in the June 22 attack, who continues to recover.
Near the end of the service, officers presented Benredouane’s service cap and badge to his family.
Ahmed broke down in tears as he accepted the cap. Nearby, relatives embraced one another while a young child clutched a teddy bear dressed in a police uniform.
SPVM Chief Fady Dagher presents Mohamed Lamine Benredouane’s cap to his brother Ahmed during a ceremony at the Bell Centre in Montreal, on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. Tim Snow / Montreal Gazette
Speaking with reporters after the ceremony, SPVM Chief Fady Dagher said Benredouane’s death continues to be felt throughout the force.
Dagher said the loss has prompted difficult conversations, with officers encouraged to speak openly about grief and uncertainty.
“Being a cop is not being a robot,” he said.
Dagher said counsellors, psychologists and therapists were deployed to police stations following the shootings to support officers affected by the loss.
He also reflected on the moment Benredouane’s family received his service cap.
Watching Ahmed accept it, Dagher said he was struck by how closely the twin brothers resembled one another.
“The same gestures,” he said.
“It was like seeing Mohamed again.”
Hundreds of officers gather for a procession preceding a ceremony to honour Const. Mohamed Lamine Benredouane. Allen McInnis / Montreal Gazette
I’m a reporting intern at the Montreal Gazette, covering breaking news and the issues affecting communities across Montreal. I believe some of the most interesting stories begin with an ordinary conversation.
