A Canadian teen is hospitalized with serious injuries after he was shot in the head during an altercation he allegedly started with a constable at a courthouse in Quebec.

According to the Canadian Press, authorities claim 18-year-old Steven Bertrand was able to obtain the constable’s baton, which they say he then used to batter the officer.

As he was being attacked, the constable reportedly drew his handgun and fired at the suspect.

Video captured by a witness purportedly shows the moment Bertrand was shot, as the Daily Mail reported.

In a Facebook post, the suspect’s mother, Julie, wrote that he was in stable condition, adding that the bullet missed his brain.

“He is strong and he is fighting for his life,” she wrote in one post.

At least one local union representative says the especially violent end to this fight is in large measure due to a chronic lack of security at rural courthouses.

As with the Maniwaki building in which Bertrand was shot, Franck Perales, who heads the industry’s union in the region, said courthouse constables are in short supply outside of major cities across Canada. At the time of the shooting, the constable involved was reportedly the only officer on duty.

“For two or three years the union has been ringing the alarm,” he said.

The shortage of manpower has been the topic of “meetings with governments and concerned parties” during that time, he said, noting the crunch is especially prevalent among small courthouses. Perales said the most recent incident is an example of that disadvantage.

“Since there was no backup, no reinforcement, no support, he had to manage alone, and nobody helped him,” he said.

The constable also reportedly received injuries during the altercation, but is recovering.

Bertrand was reportedly at the courthouse for a sentencing hearing. It is unclear what additional charges will be filed in relation to this incident.

[Featured image: YouTube video screenshot]