Police officer who pleaded guilty following Val-d'Or investigation dies of cancer before being sentenced

The only criminal case to go forward following explosive allegations of police misconduct in Val-d'Or, Que., has ended with the death of retired police officer Jean-Luc Vollant, months before he was to be sentenced for sexual assault.

Vollant, 67, died of cancer at his home on Sunday. He had pleaded guilty in October to sexual assaultforincidentsthatoccurredduring his time with the local police inSchefferville, Que., in the1980s.

Sentencing arguments weresupposed to take place this monthbut were delayed to March2019, because Vollantwas too ill to attend.

Other charges against Vollant, including rape andindecent assault, were dropped with his guilty plea.

The Crown prosecutor's office saidVollant'scase will be closed once a judge receives the death certificate, but his guilty plea will stay on record.

Vollant was one of two officers charged following an investigation into 37 cases of abuse and excessive force reported to Montreal police following a 2015 Radio-Canadareport into alleged abuses of Indigenous women by Val-d'Or officers.

The other officer charged, Alain Juneau, died by suicide in January 2017, a few months after he wascharged withsexual assault and assault with a weapon.

Disappointment, anger

The absence of charges involvingofficers from theVal-d'Ordetachmentweremet with widespread disappointment and anger in the communityafter the Crown's announcement in 2016.

Repeated calls from Indigenous leadersled to the creation of aprovincial inquiry that wrapped upits public hearingslast Friday.

Testimony from Montreal police investigators during the inquiry, called the Viens Commission, revealed that 54 additional complaints of police misconduct never led to criminal charges.

Retired Justice JacquesViens is expected to submit his full report in September of next year, based on 277 personal testimonies from Indigenous people in Quebec about their personal encounters with police, medical staff and other public services.

More than 50 of those testimonies involved policing methods.