Two RCMP officers cleared in separate use-of-force incidents on First Nations

Two separate Alberta RCMP use-of-force incidents on First Nations on June 24, 2025, have been cleared by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team.

ASIRT executive director Matthew Block found Parkland RCMP's use of a Taser and handcuffing during a mental health call on the Enoch Cree Nation was justified. The man, in distress, had barricaded himself in a room at River Cree Resort and Casino with a large glass shard in his hand after jumping from a window. Officers Tasered him three times to safely approach and provide aid. An autopsy later found the cause of death was cardiorespiratory arrest due to hyperactive delirium with agitation and cocaine use — not the Taser or handcuffing.

In the second incident at Ermineskin Cree Nation the same day, RCMP responded to a disconnected 911 call. The man was holding what police believed were weapons and had a documented history of violence and an active firearms prohibition. When he refused repeated orders to drop the objects, officers fired multiple rounds. The items turned out to be an improvised firearm — a pipe gun capable of discharging a 20-gauge shotgun cartridge. The man was taken to hospital with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and wrist.

Both cases involved significant risk to public safety. Block found the officers acted within their authority to protect themselves and the community. The cases are part of a broader pattern of ASIRT reviews into provincial police conduct.