Man accused of trying to murder Montreal cop appears in court, next hearing Sept. 20

MONTREAL — A man facing accusations of attempting to murder a Montreal police officer and murdering a cellmate made a brief appearance in court today.

Ali Ngarukiye appeared by videoconference at the Montreal courthouse, and his case was pushed back to Sept. 20.

He wore a grey sweatshirt and a mask, and he spoke only to say hello to his lawyer and the judge.

Lawyers for the 21-year-old requested in July that he undergo a psychiatric evaluation, and the court heard today that the assessment has not been completed.

Ngarukiye faces several charges including attempted murder of Const. Sanjay Vig last Jan. 28 after the police officer was allegedly disarmed and fired upon with his service weapon. Police had wrongfully arrested and detained Mamadi III Fara Camara in connection with the case.

The accused has since been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his cellmate, André Lapierre, in June at Montreal’s detention centre.

Ngarukiye was arrested last March in Toronto in connection with the January assault on the officer after police initially arrested and detained Camara for six days before releasing and exonerating him.

Camara has launched a $1.2-million lawsuit against the police force and prosecutors, alleging he was the victim of racial profiling.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 19, 2021

The Canadian Press