The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) investigated and found that a Calgary Police officer acted in self defence, after responding to a domestic call for service in February.
ASIRT investigates all incidents by law enforcement in Alberta, when serious or deadly force is used by an officer.
Five officers responded to a call for service on Feb. 19, to a home in the 6200 block of 17 Avenue SE, after the daughter of an elderly resident of the home who contacted police asking for advice on dealing with alleged abusive behaviour from her brother at the home toward her mother.
“Based on the nature of the information she passed on to the call taker the matter was elevated to a priority in-progress domestic situation. Uniformed members were immediately dispatched to the residence,” said ASIRT in their report on the investigation into the shooting.
“While on route to the residence the uniformed officers obtained background information about AP. One officer also phoned the mother and learned that AP was displaying extreme anger and had access to a large dagger. The mother told the officer that the door to the residence was unlocked and that due to her medical condition she was unable to leave the residence.”
The ASIRT investigation also indicated that the son had previously made statements that he wanted to be shot by police.
Officers at the home encountered that individual, who approached police carrying a dagger in a stabbing position, said ASIRT.
Body worn camera evidence showed that the individual was given command to drop the knife, but did not do so.
“The [body worn camera] of [subject officer] captured [subject officer] shouting ‘Calgary police, drop the knife, drop the knife now’. These commands were shouted while AP continued rapidly towards the door armed with the dagger,” said ASIRT in their report on the incident.
ASIRT found that the use of a firearm to address the threat of harm to officers was justified, and solely dictated by the actions of the individual who was fatally shot.
“AP advanced on SO the moment the door was opened and had closed the distance between himself and SO even though SO had retreated to create space between them. SO is entitled to defend himself just like a civilian is, if faced with a life-threatening situation.”
In their investigation, ASIRT noted that the mother of the individual who was killed asked the investigating organization to pass along a message to the officers involved.
“Tragically, the mother indicated that she knew something like this was going to happen. She had heard AP talk about dying at the hands of the police and she believed AP was waiting for this to occur,” the ASIRT report read.
“She stated, ‘I forgive him. He had to do his own job and there’s nothing else he could’ve done.'”
