The 42-year-old man at the heart of a major police operation Tuesday in Terrebonne was a heavily armed fugitive wanted for violent crimes in the United States.
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Simon Betser held the police in suspense before taking his own life on Tuesday, at the end of the afternoon, on the 2nd floor of a semi-detached, rue Foucault.
Photo Jonathan Tremblay
The main bedroom where Simon Betser died was upside down when the Journal passed yesterday.
At around 2:30 p.m., the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Tactical Intervention Group (ERT) stormed into the family neighborhood.
Shortly after, a woman, who was present in the house, surrendered, before being apprehended by the police. Betser remained barricaded.
The police eventually found the man unresponsive in the residence.
According to our information, several firearms were found inside. The place had been under surveillance for some time, to ensure that the fugitive, in the crosshairs of the authorities, was there.
This operation was commissioned by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), which wanted to arrest the Ukrainian of origin, wanted under a pan-Canadian immigration warrant. He was also wanted by the US Marshals Service.
An ex kidnapped
In 2019, Betser was arrested in Connecticut for having kidnapped an ex-girlfriend for two days with an accomplice. She had then suffered hell, having been the victim of attacks and threats, according to American media.
She had finally managed to escape, and Betser had faced numerous charges. In addition, the previous year, the police had found a cache of weapons and ammunition in the same location.
For about three months, the man rented under a fake Airbnb account the house where the impressive police operation took place on Tuesday, confirmed the owner. He resided there with the woman apprehended by the police before her death. The latter was also wanted.
“He looked sick. He had lost weight. He never went out, testified yesterday Mathieu Toupin, immediate neighbor, who heard three detonations. Lately, I found him strange, he was in his windows, and walked his two dogs.
“I have never met them. I was talking to them through the app. They were paying,” the owner told us.
On site yesterday, The newspaper was able to tour the residence where the drama was played out.
Upon entering, we could see the shrapnel of a tear gas canister thrown into the portico. Then upstairs, the master bedroom, where Betser died, gave way to a scene worthy of a horror movie.
smudged walls
A pool of blood covered the floor of the closet, and the white walls were stained with red stains. The bathroom counter was filled with what appeared to be cannabis and pills.
Courtesy picture
Simon Betser, as he appeared on a wanted poster.
Wanted by US law enforcement, the suspect appeared to have resided in Canada for at least two years. In particular, he was fined $350 for a violation of the Highway Safety Code in June 2020.
Yesterday, the authorities threw the ball to reveal details of the intervention.
And even if the individual died during a police operation, the Bureau of Independent Investigations will not investigate.
“No investigation will be requested, since according to the Police Act, the BEI has jurisdiction over the interventions of the police forces of Quebec”, confirmed the Public Security of Quebec. The CBSA would not comment on the ongoing investigation.