From the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team - Duane Rolheiser
ASIRT investigates fatal EPS officer-involved shooting
On Jan. 2, 2019, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) was directed to investigate the circumstances surrounding an officer-involved shooting, where a 26-year-old man died during an encounter with members of the Edmonton Police Service (EPS).
On the same day at approximately 1:30 p.m., EPS received a domestic violence complaint regarding events that were reported to have occurred over the preceding days and, as a result, entered into an investigation. Officers attended to the residence in question and determined that the subject of the complaint was no longer present. The complainant in those matters attended hospital, while EPS members sought and obtained warrants for the arrest of the complainant’s 26-year-old partner.
At approximately 9 p.m., EPS received a report that the man had returned to the residence and had broken inside while only a 13-year-old child was home. Officers attended to the scene, determined that the man was inside the residence, as was the young person, and established a perimeter around the location. Before EPS members were able to enter the residence, the man emerged from inside with two knives and a confrontation occurred. During that confrontation, an ARWEN less-lethal launcher was used, and two members of the EPS discharged their service pistols. The man was struck by several of the fired rounds, and fell to the ground. EMS was contacted and attended to the scene where the man was ultimately pronounced deceased.
An examination of the two knives recovered outside the residence confirmed that they were from inside the home.
