The Alberta Serious Incidents Response Team (ASIRT) said two RCMP officers should not be charged after they were involved in the death of a man near a Blairmore, AB, Home Hardware in 2020. .“The subject officers were in a dynamic situation where both of their lives were in danger,” said ASIRT Executive Director Michael Ewenson in a Thursday report. .“They responded with lethal force over a period of less than 36 seconds.” .The report said the first RCMP officer was assisting with break and enter investigations where the suspect was believed to be involved. It said the second officer had not been involved with the investigations, but he received and reviewed emails about them. .The first officer told the second one he believed the suspect was involved. The second officer understood the suspect could be arrested for this offence. .A witness officer was off duty and driving through Blairmore when he noticed the vehicle of interest in the investigation in a Home Hardware parking lot. He called in to the Crowsnest Pass RCMP detachment and asked for an on-duty officer to attempt to identify the driver. . Stopped truckThe stopped Chevrolet Silverado with the subject officers approaching. .The officers drove to the Home Hardware, where they parked a short distance away to confirm it was the vehicle. Since the suspect was considered armed and dangerous, the second officer said conducting a traffic stop could be risky. .They moved in to conduct a traffic stop, with the plan to park behind the suspect’s vehicle to block it. As they moved in, they advised the RCMP dispatch they were about to conduct a high-risk vehicle stop. .Upon moving closer, the report said they stepped out of their vehicles, drew their firearms, and remained behind its open doors. It said the second officer used a loud hailer to tell the suspect he was under arrest and to exit the vehicle. .The suspect started the vehicle and put it in reverse. The officers proceeded to shoot their guns at his vehicle. . Shots firedSO1 in wide stance with arms pointing at the Chevrolet Silverado. .His windshield shattered, and he appeared to be injured. He was able to put the vehicle in drive and went to a nearby field. .The officers pursued the vehicle to the field, and they discovered he was apparently deceased. Paramedics were called, and they arrived a short time later. .They were unsuccessful at reviving him, and he died at the scene. .The report said the suspect had an extensive criminal record, including five convictions for flight from police, three for resisting or obstructing an officer, and one for attempting to obstruct justice. At the time of the shooting, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition and was barred from driving..Ewenson said while the suspect’s actions were the primary cause of his own death, the impact of his death goes beyond him to his family members. He said the “officers’ lives were in danger, and they may feel the effects of being involved in this incident for a long time.” .There was danger to bystanders, such as the people inside the Home Hardware. Many people walked through the front door of the Home Hardware that day. .The report said it was reasonable for the first officer to attempt to park behind the vehicle. It said he failed to place his vehicle in a spot to prevent the suspect from moving. .Ewenson said the first officer “not only failed to mitigate the danger posed by the AP (affected person), he increased that danger.” He added the choice to almost box in the accused increased the danger to the officers, which could have affected public safety. .The report said the officers could have better planned to reduce the danger presented. Whether it was an issue with policy, training, or conduct is up to the RCMP to decide. .Ewenson said the acting in authority and defence sections of the Criminal Code of Canada apply in this situation. .“For these reasons, there are no reasonable grounds to believe either of the subject officers committed a criminal offence,” he said.
