Officer involved in Villanueva shooting testifies

A coroners inquest into the death of Fredy Villanueva heard for the first time from a witness involved in the shootingas Montreal police Const. Stphanie Pilotte testified Friday.

The courtroom was packed with several police officers, including the man who pulled the trigger, Const. Jean-Loup Lapointe.

Lapointes presence was "very troubling" for the members of the Villanueva family who were also there, said their lawyer, Peter Georges-Louis. Villanueva, 18,was shot and killed in the summer of 2008 while police tried to arrest his brother.

Pilotte, arookie who could easily pass for a teenager, was questioned by inquest lawyer Francois Daviault about her lack of experience.

Having graduated from the provinces police academy only 18 months before the shooting, Pilotte said she is often teased by her colleagues, who say the Crown Royal cruisers used by Montreal police look too big for her.

Shehad, however, received training to deal with street gang members, Pilotte said.

'The Bronx'

The day Villanueva was shotstarted out as a normal summer day, she recalled.

Shestarted her workday at 7 a.m. at Station 39 in Montreal North, an area police officers refer to as "the Bronx."

Pilotte was only scheduled to work until 3:15 p.m. but agreed to work an overtime shift alongside Lapointe. It was the first time she had worked with him since a college internship.

She described how they responded to a series of calls before deciding to visit Henri-Bourassa Park, where the shooting took place.

Pilotte said it was a good place to watch what was going on in the neighbourhood.

Here,Lapointe noticed a group of four to six people gathered around two cars. Lapointe said he could see they were playing dice an illegal activity in a park and approached them, Pilotte said.

The lawyer for the Villanueva family asked how the officers were able to tell what the groupmembers weredoing from a distance of at least 50 metres.

"It is a bit strange," Georges-Louis said.

Later, Pilotte said the officers saw Fredy Villanuevas older brother, Danny, who was wanted by police, walking away from the group.

The inquest and Pilottes testimony will resume Dec. 9.