Alberta’s police watchdog has cleared an RCMP officer in a Grande Prairie-area shooting, concluding the use of force was justified after the officer was stabbed during a roadside confrontation.In a decision released following a months-long investigation, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team found no reasonable grounds to believe the officer committed a criminal offence during the January 6, 2026 incident.The shooting occurred after police were dispatched to a report of a vehicle that had left the road in the County of Grande Prairie. According to ASIRT, the officer arrived alone and initially approached the scene calmly before being suddenly attacked by a man armed with a knife.Video evidence showed the man grappling with the officer and stabbing him in the shoulder. The suspect then continued advancing toward the officer while still holding the weapon.ASIRT determined the officer fired multiple shots as the man approached, ultimately discharging his firearm five times. Despite being shot, the man continued to move toward the officer, prompting further commands to drop the knife.Investigators found the officer then transitioned to a conducted energy weapon, deploying it several times before the suspect was finally subdued and taken into custody. The knife was kicked away and additional officers arrived to assist and provide first aid..The man survived the encounter with what investigators described as a single gunshot wound with entry and exit points. The officer also required treatment for a stab wound.According to ASIRT, the man later told investigators he had been heavily intoxicated and suicidal at the time, admitting he had consumed large amounts of alcohol over several days and may have been attempting to provoke police into harming him.The watchdog concluded the officer’s actions met the legal threshold for self-defence under section 34 of the Criminal Code, noting the immediate and ongoing threat posed by an armed attacker who had already inflicted a serious injury.“Once the [suspect] stabbed him with a knife, it was reasonable to think that he would do so again,” the report found, describing the situation as a lethal threat..ASIRT also found the officer’s actions were justified under section 25 of the Criminal Code, which allows police to use necessary force in the execution of their duties, including lethal force when required for self-preservation.Investigators emphasized the officer showed restraint by switching to a less-lethal option despite the continued threat, a move that may have prevented a fatal outcome.“The [officer’s] de-escalation at risk to himself is laudable,” the report stated, noting the suspect might not have survived had the officer continued using his firearm.ASIRT concluded the force used was proportionate, necessary and reasonable in the circumstances, bringing the case to a close with no charges laid.
