The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has concluded an investigation into a Red Deer officer-involved shooting in 2020.
In August 2020, a Red Deer RCMP officer was searching for a stolen vehicle that had fled from police.
The officer found the vehicle in a residence driveway, and stepped out of his vehicle, before the suspect fled.
Between the time the officer stepped out of his vehicle and when the stolen vehicle fled, the officer fired five shots at the suspect, with one hitting their leg.
The suspect was charged with:
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Assaulting a peace officer with a weapon
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Dangerous driving
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Possession of a stolen motor vehicle
ASIRT interviewed the officer who explained that when the suspect began to drive away, he thought he had no way to avoid the vehicle. He drew his handgun and started to rapidly fire.
The investigation determined that when the officer stepped out of his vehicle, his motion was limited by the vehicles, he had no cover, and was in danger of being run over.
ASIRT’s investigation concluded that given the small space the officer was in and that the suspect was driving at him, the officer’s use of force was justified.
There were no reasonable grounds to believe that an offense was committed.