ASIRT clears RCMP officers in fatal Grande Prairie shooting

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team has cleared four RCMP officers who fatally shot a man in Grande Prairie after a chase that ended with him refusing police commands and aiming a replica rifle at officers.

According to an ASIRT report released Wednesday, the incident unfolded on the evening of July 18. A community police officer saw a driver make a left turn on a red light and drive erratically at high speeds. Less than 30 minutes later, another officer spotted the same vehicle parked on a residential lawn. The driver maneuvered around them, and minutes later drove past the Grande Prairie RCMP detachment three separate times.

When a marked police vehicle pulled alongside, the man accelerated and led officers down a dead-end range road, where his car became stuck in mud. He got out with his hands raised, but when officers yelled commands to keep his hands up and walk toward them, he didn't respond. Instead, he reached into his vehicle and pulled out what appeared to be an assault rifle. An officer broadcast "gun, gun, gun" over the radio.

Police issued verbal commands for him to put his hands up. He didn't comply. He moved his arms with the firearm to his sides, then brought the weapon forward in the direction of officers. At 12:01 a.m., the man appeared to point the firearm at police. Officers responded by firing their weapons. One officer yelled during the initial volley, leading another to think he had been shot. That officer later learned his colleague had sustained an injury to his eardrum from the gunfire, which heightened his sense of urgency and contributed to his continued use of force. Police found the man lying near his vehicle with what appeared to be a replica rifle. Despite attempts to resuscitate him, ambulance workers pronounced him deceased.