The family of 59-year-old Marlene Thompson is demanding accountability after Montreal police officers detained her for suspected impaired driving when she was actually experiencing a life-threatening stroke. This troubling incident, which occurred last Tuesday on Highway 40, has reignited concerns about racial bias in policing and raised questions about officers’ medical emergency training.
“They saw a Black woman slurring her words and immediately jumped to conclusions,” said Thompson’s daughter, Keisha Williams, during an emotional press conference yesterday. “My mother needed immediate medical attention, not handcuffs and accusations.”
According to family members, Thompson was driving to her afternoon shift at Royal Victoria Hospital, where she has worked as a nurse for over 25 years, when she began experiencing facial drooping and difficulty speaking. After pulling to the shoulder and activating her hazard lights, her vehicle was approached by officers who reportedly suspected intoxication due to her speech patterns and disorientation.
Witness accounts indicate that despite Thompson attempting to communicate her medical distress and pointing to her face—a common self-diagnostic gesture for stroke victims—officers proceeded with a standard field sobriety assessment. Police records show Thompson was detained for approximately 47 minutes before a passing paramedic recognized the symptoms and intervened.
“Every minute during a stroke means more brain cells dying,” said Dr. Alain Fournier, neurologist at McGill University Health Centre, who wasn’t involved in Thompson’s care but spoke about stroke protocols. “The standard ‘time is brain’ principle makes rapid response crucial. The golden window for treatment is typically under four hours, with better outcomes the earlier intervention occurs.”
Thompson is currently recovering at Montreal General Hospital after receiving delayed treatment for an ischemic stroke. Medical professionals have indicated she may face long-term speech and mobility challenges that might have been minimized with prompter medical attention.
Montreal Police Service spokesperson Sergeant Jean Robillard acknowledged the incident in a statement: “We are conducting a thorough review of the officers’ actions and our training protocols regarding medical emergency recognition. We take these concerns very seriously.”
This case bears troubling similarities to other incidents across North America where medical emergencies in Black individuals have been misinterpreted as criminal behavior. A 2023 study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that Black Canadians wait an average of 1.8 times longer for emergency medical services in crisis situations when police are first responders.
The Thompson family has retained legal counsel and is considering filing a formal complaint with Quebec’s police ethics commissioner. Civil rights organizations, including the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations, have expressed support for the family and called for comprehensive reform in police medical emergency protocols.
“This case exemplifies why we need emergency responders who are trained to recognize medical emergencies and overcome potential biases,” said community advocate Marcus Jean during a rally outside police headquarters. “Someone experiencing a stroke shouldn’t have to fear being treated like a criminal based on the color of their skin.”
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante has promised a review of first responder protocols and additional training for officers. “What happened to Ms. Thompson is deeply concerning and highlights the need for continued improvement in our emergency response systems,” Plante stated in a press release.
As Thompson faces a challenging recovery, her case has become a flashpoint in ongoing discussions about racial disparities in healthcare outcomes and policing. The incident raises a critical question for our society: how many more individuals must suffer from mistaken assumptions and delayed medical care before we implement meaningful changes to our emergency response systems?
