No charges for RCMP officer after fatal December 2024 shooting of Cold Lake First Nation man
Alberta's police watchdog cleared the officer of wrongdoing in the death of Fabian Skani, but the First Nations chief and family say more could have been done.
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An RCMP officer has been cleared of any wrongdoing in the December 2024 fatal shooting of Fabian Skani, a member of Cold Lake First Nation, according to a report released by Alberta's police watchdog.
Skani was shot on December 14, 2024, after officers responded to reports of an attempted stabbing. He was taken to hospital but died of his injuries shortly after arrival. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) concluded the officer acted in self-defence, finding "no reasonable interpretation other than that the subject officer was acting to defend himself when he fired."
According to witness testimony and video footage included in ASIRT's report, Skani had attacked a man waiting for the bus with a knife. Skani initially walked away and did not co-operate with police demands. When the subject officer drew his gun upon arrival and ran toward Skani, the man's behaviour "escalated significantly." Testimony from all three officers present said Skani became aggressive, advancing quickly toward the subject officer while "holding the knife in a stabbing motion." Skani was shot three times; a medical examiner determined the final gunshot wound was fatal.
But Cold Lake First Nations Chief Kelsey Jacko said he believes more could have been done to prevent Skani's death. He pointed out the reserve is only 9 to 10 kilometres away and is equipped with a mental health crisis team trained in de-escalation — resources that could have been mobilized. "Maybe they should have been the first responders," Jacko said.
According to an RCMP media spokesperson, the Cold Lake detachment had a mental health clinician beginning in June 2024. A permanent officer was paired with the clinician to form a Regional Police and Crisis Team (RPACT) on December 26, 2024 — 12 days after Skani was killed.
Jacko also suggested other tactics, such as deploying a police dog, might have prevented the fatal outcome. "There's other ways they could have handled it. But it's too late now, we buried him and people are still grieving," he said. "Hopefully they learn from this lesson and it doesn't happen again." RCMP declined to comment on de-escalation tactics or training used by officers.
