Alberta’s police watchdog — the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) — says charges will not be laid against officers who shot a man in June 2024.
ASIRT reveiled the findings of its investigation on Thursday, where they confirmed that the officer’s use of force in the situation was justified on reasonable
grounds, that the force was necessary to prevent the death or grievous bodily harm of the officer or any other person.
ASIRT says that on June 4, 2024, officers responded to a report that a person had allegedly been assaulted by their roommate.
Officers responded to the scene, and a man exited the home and began to cross the street towards the officers while holding a light and a steak knife.
Knife found at the scene of an officer-involved shooting in June 2024. (Courtesy: Alberta Serious Incident Response Team)
The officers reportedly told the man to drop the knife, however, he did not comply and yelled at the officers. Following this, one of the officer’s used a conducted energy weapon on the man, but it had no affect. Following this, both officers fired their guns at the man and hit him, causing him to fall, allowing the officers to handcuff him, before providing first aid until paramedics could arrive and take him to hospital.
Investigators note that the man did not consent access to his medical records, so the extent of his injuries is unknown.
Over the course of their investigation, ASIRT interviewed five civilian witnesses, both officers involved in the shooting, four additional witness officers and got reports from seven additional witness officers. Adding that statements were also confirmed by video footage from a nearby home.