The 28-year-old Saguenéen, victim of a possible kidnapping suspected to be linked to drug trafficking, was found in the middle of the street in Montreal on the night of Wednesday to Thursday.
• Also read: Possible kidnapping in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
“Michael Chouinard was found safe and sound in the Montreal region,” the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) said in a news release Thursday morning.
“Courtesy of the Saguenay Police Department”
According to our information, Michael Chouinard was found with a severed finger and toe just before 2 a.m. near Bélanger Street and 42nd Avenue in the Rosemont area.
His presence on the road was reported to police after he asked for help from a passing motorist.
Michael Chouinard was found with a severed finger and toe on Bélanger Street, between 42nd and 43rd Avenues in the Rosemont district of Montreal, at approximately 2:30 a.m., Thursday, February 22, 2024. PASCAL GIRARD/AGENCE QMI Pascal Girard/AGENCE QMI
For their part, Montreal police confirmed that they had found a person, but were still trying to confirm his identity since the man did not want to cooperate with police.
“We are still verifying his identity, but have no confirmation at this point,” SPVM spokeswoman Sabrina Gauthier said simply.
Pascal Girard/AGENCE QMI
As a reminder, the Saguenay Police Service (SPS) announced on Wednesday the disappearance of Michael Chouinard, citing concerns for his safety.
In the evening, the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) claimed for its part that “the investigations carried out so far tend to show that there is a danger to the life of this person”.
The information received by our investigative office suggests that Chouinard may have been kidnapped and that his disappearance is linked to organized crime.
-With information from Maxime Deland, QMI Agency
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