The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has concluded its investigation into a fatal police shooting that occurred in Calgary on February 19, determining that the officer involved acted in self-defence.
According to ASIRT’s report, five Calgary Police Service (CPS) officers responded to a residence in the city's northeast following a call about a domestic disturbance.
The call was made by the sister of the affected person (AP), who expressed concerns about her brother's behavior towards their elderly mother.
Officers were advised that AP had access to a dagger and had previously expressed a desire to be shot by police.
Upon arrival, officers approached the residence with a plan to assist the elderly woman.
As one officer opened the door, body-worn camera footage captured AP advancing quickly toward him while holding a dagger in a stabbing position.
The officer ordered AP to drop the weapon, but AP continued forward.
The officer then fired his handgun four times, striking AP. Another officer simultaneously deployed a conductive energy weapon, but ASIRT confirmed it played no role in AP’s death.
Medical aid was provided immediately, but AP was pronounced dead at the scene.
His mother, who witnessed the incident, later told investigators that she had feared such an outcome, believing her son had been waiting for a confrontation with police.
She also expressed forgiveness for the officer, stating, “He had to do his own job, and there’s nothing else he could’ve done.”
ASIRT determined that the officer’s use of force was justified under Section 34 of the Criminal Code, which allows individuals, including police officers, to use force in self-defense when faced with an imminent threat.
Given the rapid escalation of events and the threat posed by AP, the investigation concluded that the officer had no reasonable alternative.
ASIRT has now closed the case, clearing the officer of any wrongdoing.
