Person found injured after shootout involving police in Quebec Far North has died

MONTREAL — Quebec’s police watchdog says one of two people who were found injured after an exchange of gunfire involving the Nunavik Police Service on Dec. 20 has died.

The Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes says the person who died had been found inside the residence following the shooting.

Inukjuak Mayor Bobby Epoo had previously said the people who were hurt were a man in his 30s and a six-year-old girl.

A news release from the Kativik Regional Government published Dec. 23 specified that the person found inside the residence was a child.

However, neither the Quebec coroner’s office nor the watchdog would confirm the identity or age of the deceased person.

Quebec’s police watchdog says Nunavik officers exchanged gunshots with an individual outside a home in the community just after 3:30 a.m. on Dec. 20, after they were called about a person who had allegedly posed a danger to other occupants.

The watchdog has said the individual was injured during the police intervention and was arrested, while a second person was found seriously hurt inside the residence.

Maggie Emudluk, Kativik Regional Government chairperson, has called for a regional effort to reduce violence in communities in Quebec’s Far North.

The Quebec coroner’s office says it will investigate the death.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 30. 2025.

The Canadian Press