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UPDATE: Officer-involved shooting in Maskwacis

Investigation has been taken over by ASIRT
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UPDATE —

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) continue to investigate officer-involved shooting in Maskwacis that took place Dec. 1.

At 1:23 p.m., Maskwacis RCMP received a call about a male discharging a firearm in a rural area on Samson Cree Nation.

Officers drove to the area and located a male carrying a rifle and walking down a rural road near the intersection of Range Road 250 and Township Road 442 around 2:00 p.m.

According to reports a second officer coming from the opposite direction arrived shortly after in his police vehicle which the male carrying the rifle, pointing upwards, approached. He stopped as the officer approached him on foot with his firearm drawn.

The male pointed the rifle in the officers direction and at approximately 2:04 p.m. the officer discharged his firearm striking the male. A rifle was located on the scene.

The 27-year-old individual from Maskwacis was taken to hospital via STARS Air Ambulance following first-aid treatment on scene from officers. He arrived to hospital in life-threatening condition.

On Dec. 3, the male passed away.

ASIRT will continue it’s investigation into use of force.

“The Alberta RCMP believes in processes that seek the facts and it’s important that processes taken to assess the actions of all those involved, including the police, are fair, transparent, and defendable,” writes Cpl. Troy Savinkoff, RCMP media relations officer, in a press release.

n addition to, and independently from, the ASIRT investigation, the Alberta RCMP will be conducting their own review of the events of the incident.

Training, policy, response, and duty status of all members involved in the incident will be part of the internal review.

“The Alberta RCMP is, of course, fully cooperating with ASIRT and will not be commenting further on this incident,” concludes Savinkoff.

Original Story — An RCMP officer with the Maskwacis detachment was involved in an officer-involved shooting on Dec. 1.

Around 1:20 p.m., the detachment received a report from a resident about a male who had been discharging a firearm in a rural area.

According to reports, upon RCMP officer arrival a confrontation occured between the male and the officer ultimately ending with the officer firing his service pistol, injuring the suspect.

Officers at the scene provided first-aid treatment and STARS was dispatched to airlift the suspect to hospital.

Last reports received indicate that a 27-year-old individual from Maskwacis was in hospital in critical, life-threatening condition.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has taken over the investigation into the events of the officer-involved shooting.

“The Alberta RCMP believes in processes that seek the facts and it’s important that processes taken to assess the actions of all those involved, including the police, are fair, transparent, and defendable,”writes Cpl. Troy Savinkoff, RCMP media relations officer, in a press release.

“This is why, as soon as we became aware of this incident, we immediately notified the Director of Law Enforcement and initiated our internal review process.”

In addition to, and independently from, the ASIRT investigation, the Alberta RCMP will be conducting their own review of the events of the incident.

Training, policy, response, and duty status of all members involved in the incident will be part of the internal review.

“The Alberta RCMP is, of course, fully cooperating with ASIRT and will not be commenting further on this incident,” concludes Savinkoff.