An investigation into a 2022 incident where a man reported missing was arrested and Tasered by RCMP officers in Fort McMurray has concluded with no charges being laid against the officers involved.On July 1, 2022, two days after the man had been reported missing by his father, three RCMP officers located him walking with a small dog. The man, referred to in documents as the affected person (AP), was arrested after a brief interaction during which he appeared agitated and protective of his dog. The situation escalated when officers attempted to take the dog from him, and the man was placed in handcuffs and into a police vehicle..The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) reviewed video evidence showing officers forcibly removing the man from his dog, dragging him, and placing him in handcuffs as he resisted. Later, the man was temporarily released from the police vehicle, and when told he was under arrest for drug possession, he pushed the officers and fled. One officer used a conducted energy weapon (CEW), or Taser, to stop him. The man fell to the ground, complained of shoulder pain, and was later found to have suffered a broken collarbone that required surgery..Witnesses, including a nearby resident and emergency responders, confirmed key details of the incident. Video footage and testimony contradicted officers’ claims that the man had used his dog as a weapon. ASIRT found that initial grounds for the man’s arrest were weak, possibly based solely on his status as a missing person — a reason not authorized under Canadian law for arresting an adult.The ASIRT report also raised concerns that the search which led to a possession charge, and the subsequent use of force when he fled, may have been unlawful due to the questionable legality of the first arrest. .Still, under section 25 of the Criminal Code, police are permitted to use necessary force in the performance of their duties, provided it is reasonable and proportionate.Despite determining that there were reasonable grounds to believe an offence may have been committed, ASIRT referred the matter to the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service (ACPS). On May 6, 2025, ACPS advised against laying charges, citing insufficient likelihood of conviction. Based on that opinion, ASIRT has closed the case without recommending any charges.The man, who later died from unrelated causes, had claimed during and after the arrest that he was being wrongfully detained for simply being a missing person. His medical records confirmed the collarbone injury and subsequent surgery. The investigation has since highlighted broader concerns about police conduct, arrest powers, and the use of force in mental health or wellness checks.
