Temporary safety measures are being installed while vulnerabilities are assessed
A man faces multiple charges, including attempted murder, after allegedly driving a vehicle through the Quebec City police headquarters on Monday afternoon.
Pierre-Olivier Jobin has been charged with attempted murder and attempting to cause the death of one or more employees of the Service de police de la Ville de Québec (SPVQ), according to authorities. He faces six additional charges: aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, dangerous operation, failure to stop after an accident, flight from a peace officer, mischief, and damaging property exceeding $5,000.
Around 2 pm Monday, a driver allegedly broke through the fence leading to the police employees’ parking lot at the back of the building and drove through an entrance before stopping inside, the SPVQ reported. The vehicle ploughed through a glass entryway reserved for employees, prompting immediate security concerns.
No employees were injured in the incident. The SPVQ said psychological support has been offered to employees affected directly or indirectly by the event.
Jobin appeared in court by videoconference on Tuesday and remains in detention, CBC News reported. He was examined by a psychiatrist following his arrest, and the Crown requested an evaluation of his fitness to stand trial over the next few days.
SPVQ director Denis Turcotte stated in an emailed statement that the police will “not let anyone attack our building” without a firm response.
“The incident has brought to light some vulnerabilities, and that’s why all the security measures at our facility are already being reviewed,” Turcotte wrote in the statement to CBC.
The Fraternité des policiers et des policières de la Ville de Québec, the union representing Quebec City police officers, called the incident an attack on the force.
“It is literally an attack against the police officers of the Quebec City Police Service. This attack simply should never have happened,” the union wrote in a news release. “How can the public now feel safe when police officers are victims of such an attack in their own headquarters?”
Quebec City mayor Bruno Marchand said something “needs correcting” at the headquarters.
The police service has begun implementing safety measures, including placing concrete blocks in certain areas temporarily. Part of the building has been boarded up following the incident.
