The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has concluded that RCMP officers acted lawfully in the June 2021 shooting death of a man near Ardmore. The man, who was allegedly high on crystal methamphetamine, was reportedly behaving erratically assaulting a woman, strangled her dog, and stabbed a police dog before officers intervened.
The incident began on June 20, 2021, when Cold Lake RCMP responded to an assault complaint in a rural area near the Alberta Saskatchewan border. According to a report released by ASIRT on October 22, the suspect was “high on methamphetamine” and had violently attacked a woman, strangled her dog, and forced her to give up her vehicle keys.
RCMP officers tracked the man to a fenced oil well site near Ardmore. The man ignored verbal commands and fled into a heavily wooded area, prompting officers to deploy a Police Service Dog (PSD) to assist in apprehending him. The man was eventually located along a tree line, where he continued to act erratically, yelling and raiding his fist at officers.
When the PSD was commanded to apprehend the suspect, the man began striking the dog. Despite the handler’s efforts to subdue the man, including delivering punches to his face, “while telling him to stop” the suspect continued to strike the dog. Officers reported that the man seemed impervious to pain remarking, “That’s the beauty of meth, I don’t feel pain.”
The situation escalated when one officer noticed a bloody knife in the suspect’s hand. The man had stabbed the police dog, inflicting two stab wounds. Struggling to control the man, the first officer believed he would kill the dog handler and himself if the man was able to break free. The officer who was the dog handler was unable to access his own weapon, and reportedly told the other officer, “He stabbed [PDS] and he’s going to stab us. Shoot him, shoot him.”
The first officer then discharged his service pistol at the man once, hitting him in the right shoulder area. First aid was started, and EMS was requested to the scene.
An autopsy confirmed that the man died from a single gunshot wound, and toxicology reports revealed significantly elevated levels of methamphetamine in his blood.
The ASIRT investigation, led by Executive Director Michael Ewenson, found that the officers’ actions were justified. The report concluded that the use of force was necessary and reasonable given the circumstances, and that there was no evidence of unlawful or unreasonable conduct by the officers involved.
In addition to detailing the events of the shooting, the report also highlighted the background of the suspect. A witness who had initially called the police said the man had been acting paranoid and had a history of suicidal behavior, including discussions about “suicide by cop.”
ASIRT’s investigation brought closure to the case, with the report stating, “After a thorough independent, and objective investigation into the conduct of the subject officers, in my opinion that they were lawfully placed and acting properly in the execution of their duties.”
The report adds, “There is no evidence to support any belief that either officer engaged in any unlawful or unreasonable conduct that would give rise to an offence.” The use of force was necessary and reasonable, stated the report.
