Alberta’s police watchdog has concluded that officers were justified in using lethal force against a man at the centre of an armed standoff that shut down parts of southeast Calgary for more than a day.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) released its final report into the March 14–15, 2024 confrontation, confirming that the five Calgary police officers who opened fire on 45‑year‑old Patrick Kimmel acted appropriately to end what investigators described as a significant threat.
The incident began when officers arrived at Kimmel’s home in Penbrooke Meadows near Memorial Drive to execute an arrest warrant on firearms‑related charges.
ASIRT says Kimmel immediately fired at police, triggering a tense 30‑hour standoff that forced the closure of major roads and several neighbourhood streets.
Throughout the incident, Kimmel repeatedly refused negotiations and intermittently shot at officers, though no police were struck. After hours of failed attempts to persuade him to surrender, officers inserted a fire hose into the basement in an effort to force him out.
When Kimmel finally emerged, ASIRT says he was armed with a shotgun, wearing body armour, and had a live grenade attached to his vest. At that moment, five officers fired, fatally wounding him.
“Based on the evidence, there is no reasonable interpretation other than that the (officers) were acting to defend themselves, their fellow officers, and other civilians in the immediate vicinity,” says ASIRT.
The stand-off prompted the evacuation of some nearby homes.