An Edmonton police officer will not face charges after fatally shooting a woman during a wellness check in December 2023, according to a report released Wednesday by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team.On the morning of December 6, 2023, staff at an addiction recovery centre called 911 after speaking by phone with a woman they believed was suicidal. Police were dispatched at 10:41 a.m. and arrived at her apartment shortly afterward.After attempts to contact the woman failed, and a delay in getting a key from property management, officers forced entry. They found the woman alone in bed, mostly covered by a duvet. While speaking with police, she stated she had a gun. Officers drew their firearms and repeatedly ordered her to keep her hands visible..One officer, standing across from the bed, pulled the duvet back and revealed what appeared to be a handgun next to her. When the woman suddenly reached across her body toward the weapon, one officer fired his gun while the other discharged a conducted energy weapon (CEW). The woman was hit by a single bullet and later declared dead at 11:43 a.m. The gun was later determined to be a BB gun.An autopsy showed the woman died from a gunshot wound that entered through her left arm and re-entered her chest. Toxicology tests found high levels of alcohol and benzodiazepines in her system. Empty bottles of alcohol and prescription medication were found in her apartment..ASIRT determined that the officers were responding to a credible mental health emergency and that the woman’s actions — including her statement about the gun and sudden movement — constituted a perceived lethal threat. The officer who fired his weapon believed on reasonable grounds that the use of force was necessary to protect himself and his colleague.ASIRT noted that while the Police and Crisis Team (PACT) was considered, it was not deployed due to the urgency of the situation. The agency concluded that the officer’s actions were reasonable, proportionate, and necessary, and that no charges will be laid.
