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Two Alberta Deaths Follow Separate Police Confrontations; Civilian Inquiries Open

The Alberta Serious Incident Review Team will independently probe a Brooks RCMP officer’s discharge and a Calgary arrest that involved conducted energy weapons.

Overview

  • In Brooks, RCMP say an officer fired a service weapon during a warrant apprehension after a wanted man allegedly produced a weapon and tried to flee, and the man died despite life-saving efforts.
  • In Calgary’s Abbeydale area, officers used conducted energy weapons during an arrest; the detained man was briefly conscious and speaking before he became unresponsive, was given CPR, and later died in hospital.
  • Both cases have been reported to the Police Review Commission and referred to the Alberta Serious Incident Review Team for independent investigation with ASIRT leading a full probe in the Calgary case.
  • ASIRT’s review will examine police use of force, the sequence of events, officer actions and medical response, and its Level 1 designation for the Calgary case signals a full independent investigation into a death in custody.
  • The investigations will determine facts and policy implications, and families, police and the public can expect limited immediate releases while evidence is preserved and investigators work.