Quebec Policeman Killed in Gun Battle on Mohawk Land
Masked Mohawks struggling to prevent ancestral land from being turned into a golf course killed a police officer today during a fierce gun battle with Quebec police.
The battle began early in the morning after about 100 riot-equipped Quebec police officers stormed an illegal barricade set up by the Mohawks on a hilltop just outside Oka, a small town 20 miles west of Montreal.
Cpl. Marcel Lemay, 31, was pronounced dead a short time later at a Montreal hospital where he was taken after being shot in the face.
Several Mohawks reported that they had taken a police sniper hostage, but the reports were later denied.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
