Dozens of police officers, family members and community members gathered Wednesday to mark 30 years since a Montreal police officer was shot and killed in the line of duty in the city’s West Island.
André Lalonde was gunned down on April 29, 1996, after pulling over a driver on Senneville Road for a loud muffler. As he approached the vehicle, the driver pulled a gun and fired three shots. Lalonde was taken to hospital, where he died a few hours later.
The suspect was never arrested and the case remains open.
A ceremony was held Wednesday at the exact intersection where Lalonde was killed, with a large police motorcade travelling through the quiet suburban street to honour the fallen constable.
Family members placed flowers beside a plaque marking the location where Lalonde’s life was cut short.
His son, Patrick Lalonde, said the tragedy had a lasting impact. “This tragic event profoundly impacted our family and all those close to us,” he said.
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Patrick Lalonde recalled being in CEGEP when he was unexpectedly called out of class.
“The director of the school came up in the class and said, I need to speak to Pat Lalonde. I said, what’s going on? What did I do wrong?” he said.
Two police officers were waiting to take him to Lakeshore General Hospital.
“I thought it was a car accident or something. But I never thought it was because he was killed by a guy with three shots,” he said.
Nicole Lalonde, the officer’s widow, said the family continues to feel his loss.
“We cried a lot. All the family. And we miss him,” she said, remembering him as a devoted husband and father.
She said Lalonde had just begun his policing career days after they were married.
“We’re married the Saturday and he started on the Monday,” she told Global.
Lalonde had 30 years of service and was just weeks away from retirement. He had not been scheduled to work the day he was killed but had been asked to come in.
His wife said she repeated the same words she told him every morning that day, not knowing it would be the last. “I said, okay, take care.”
Police say Lalonde’s legacy continues to resonate within the force.
“We have a picture of him in the conference room, so every day we see him, and he’s watching us,” said SPVM Station 1 commander, Eric Gosselin.
The investigation into his killing remains ongoing.