REPENTIGNY, Que. — Officers from multiple police forces were on alert Saturday afternoon as around 300 people gathered east of Montreal for the funeral of a man who police have linked to the Hells Angels.
Members of the RCMP, Quebec provincial police and at least five municipal police forces were in Repentigny, Quebec for the funeral of Lionel Deschamps, who was arrested in 2009 under a widespread police sweep against the biker gang.
He pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit murder last April, but was released because of time served.
Provincial police spokesman Claude Denis said agents were on hand outside the funeral home to intervene in case of intimidation against officers or bystanders, and to watch for traffic or criminal code violations.
Some officers carried cameras to update their photo database of gang members.
Police executed one arrest warrant and seized two vehicles, but Denis said overall the event went smoothly.
Some mourners entering the funeral home were wearing Hells Angels jackets.
