On October 6, 2014, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) was directed by the Director of Law Enforcement to investigate the circumstances surrounding an incident that occurred at the Redcliff Detachment.
In the evening hours of October 5, a 33-year-old man had attended a local bar in Medicine Hat. After having consumed several drinks, he returned to his residence where he became very agitated and upset. At approximately 3 a.m. on October 6, acting very much out of character, he left his residence and drove to the Redcliff RCMP detachment. Using the detachment phone located outside the RCMP building, he called the RCMP stating that he was being followed, that he hadn’t been beat up, and that “I’m just in a dangerous situation and I just need some help.”
A police officer in the detachment was advised by RCMP dispatch of the request and said that he would attend the front door to speak to the individual. Upon approaching the front door, the officer saw the man through the glass door holding the detachment phone with his left hand. The man’s right hand was seen in the middle of his back gripping the handle of a black gun with the barrel portion tucked in his pants. Fearing for the safety of a fellow police officer who was in the detachment parking lot and for himself, he removed his service pistol from his holster, opened the door and pointed his service pistol at the man. The officer immediately identified himself and directed the man to drop the gun. The man, with his right hand, removed the gun from his pants, turned around and pointed it at the officer. The officer, approximately three to four feet away from the man’s gun, fired at the man one time striking him in the middle portion of his body. The man immediately dropped his gun, bent over while holding his stomach and followed direction when ordered to get on the ground. The officer immediately radioed that the man had been shot and requested an ambulance. The fellow police officer, who was in the detachment parking lot, hearing the gunshot, ran to the front door and after handcuffing the man began to perform first aid. Shortly after being called, Medicine Hat Emergency Medical Services arrived and transported the man to hospital where he underwent surgery. The man survived the injury and was later released from hospital.
Upon examining the man’s pistol, it was later confirmed to be a replica black Smith and Wesson 177 caliber BB gun.
ASIRT’s Executive Director, Susan D. Hughson Q.C., conducted a careful review of the investigation in its entirety. Mrs. Hughson has determined that there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the RCMP officer committed any offences in this incident.
ASIRT’s mandate is to effectively, independently, and objectively investigate incidents involving Alberta’s police that have resulted in serious injury or death to any person, as well as serious or sensitive allegations of police misconduct.