The City of Montreal has been ordered to pay $175,000 in damages to a young man who lost the use of one eye during the 2012 student protests.
Francis Grenier was 22-years-old and a student at CEGEP de Saint-Jérôme at the time. On March 7, he was part of a group protesting outside Loto-Québec headquarters on Sherbrooke St.
While leaving the demonstration he was struck in the face by part of a 'Rubberball Blast Grenade' used by Montreal police to disperse the crowd.
He was taken to Hôtel-Dieu hospital and required surgery that night.
Five years later, Grenier told the court he never regained the use of his right eye.
In the ruling from earlier this week Justice Steve Reimnitz criticized the Montreal police officers who insisted on interrogating Grénier while he was waiting for surgery as well as trying to obtain his medical file.
Reimnitz wrote the action taken by police that night show they were trying to direct the investigation to cast doubts that the RBBG was the cause of Grenier's injury.
He added the police officers did not take into account the potential dangers the grenades posed before launching them at the crowd.
Grenier, who is now 27, was studying Visual Arts at the time of his injury. He said he has been forced to change career paths.
Justice Reimnitz said the money, which is now about $230,000 with interest, is for Grenier's pain and suffering and other non-monetary losses.