The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) said on Thursday it has cleared three Alberta police officers for roles in shootouts with criminals..In one case, ASIRT was directed to investigate the death of a person who exchanged gunfire with police. ASIRT’s mandate was to determine if the actions of the officer were possibly criminal in nature..Now that officer has been cleared of wrongdoing..On October 28, 2022, around 2:30 a.m. the Calgary Police Service (CPS) received a complaint that an unknown male was sitting in a green car in the parking lot of the Bentley condominium complex playing loud music..Shortly before 3 a.m., the CPS officer arrived on the scene and parked his marked police car adjacent to the green car with a person sitting in the driver’s seat..The ASIRT report said when the CPS officer exited his vehicle and walked towards the passenger’s side window and was just starting to verbally engage the person a shotgun was pointed at the officer..The CPS officer quickly retreated towards his police vehicle for cover. The person in the car fired the shotgun in the officer's direction. He was beside the passenger’s side of his police vehicle when the person with the shotgun exited his vehicle..The officer then peeked above his vehicle and fired his 9mm firearm in the direction of the person..Gunfire was exchanged. In total, the person fired the shotgun in the officer's direction four times, and the CPS officer shot his firearm eight times. The person was not apparently hit by any of the CPS officer's rounds as he ran away toward Fish Creek Park..The officer received several minor injuries that appeared to be welts to his hand, head and leg likely from the birdshot that was discharged from the shotgun..The officer called for backup and waited for a K-9 unit..The K-9 was able to locate the person and the dog as they moved about the Park. The person moved about the park while holding the shotgun..CPS monitored the man with the shotgun this way for approximately eight minutes..Cops say the man then appeared to shoot himself while standing up. He is then noticed to be lying on the ground with the gun close by. Within a few minutes, the man was noticed to still be alive and once again in possession of the shotgun..The man then shot himself in the head with the firearm and remained in the park at this location until CPS tactical officers attended the scene..An autopsy of the person confirmed that the cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot to the head..The report stated, that while numerous pellets (consistent with birdshot) were found in the person's head, there were no 9mm rounds or related injuries to the person's body. The medical examiner determined that the cause of death was as a result of firearm injuries to the head and the manner of death was by suicide.."In this case, it is clear that the person died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head," ASIRT said.."There are no reasonable grounds, nor reasonable suspicion, to believe that the officer committed an offence.".On December 4, 2018, ASIRT was directed to investigate a non-fatal Grand Prairie RCMP officer-involved shooting. The shooting was reported to have happened at the conclusion of a chase involving a stolen truck..On December 4, 2018, a Mountie was patrolling an area of Grand Prairie when she observed a male driving a truck in a suspicious manner..The Mountie positioned her unmarked police vehicle behind the truck and conducted a licence plate check. This revealed that the licence plate affixed to the truck appeared to match the truck in front of her.."Once this event was concluded, it was determined that the truck was actually stolen, and the licence plate was also stolen from a similar-looking vehicle," ASIRT said..She then decided she would not stop the driver of the truck. However, as she continued behind it, the driver of the truck began to speed. As a result, the Mountie turned on her emergency lights to conduct a traffic stop..The person driving the truck did not stop but rather continued to drive with her following. She then increased the speed at which he was travelling. Another Mountie advised over the radio that he was coming her way to assist..At about this time, the person drove the truck north in a southbound lane. A supervisor advised over the radio to stop pursuing the truck. The person driving then moved the truck back into the proper lane..At this time, a second Mountie arrived in his marked police vehicle and he took over as the primary pursuit vehicle, with the female cop driving behind him and the truck..The Mounties followed the truck as it drove down a relatively isolated access road. Partway down this road, the person slowed the truck down and actually stopped..The Mountie stopped his police vehicle offset to the left of the truck and approximately 20 meters back of it. The female cop stopped parallel and remained in her vehicle. Suddenly, the person put the truck in reverse and accelerated rapidly backwards ramming the front of the cop's vehicle making it undriveable..The Mountie was standing just outside his vehicle when the person was moving the truck to ram the female cop. Just before the person rammed the truck into his police vehicle, he fired a number of rounds from his handgun at the person in the truck, in an attempt to protect his female co-worker..The person was not struck by any of the rounds and placed the truck into drive and began to drive forward. As the person drove forward and was slightly ahead of the female cop's vehicle the person fired a shotgun containing birdshot in the Mountie's direction..He was not struck by any of the pellets. The person continued driving the vehicle forward, but it stalled out approximately 50 feet up the road. The male cop began to shoot again at the driver. He shot numerous rounds. By now, the female cop who was not seriously injured, had exited her police vehicle and taken cover at the rear of her partner's vehicle..She also started to shoot her firearm at the truck. The person then fired the shotgun again. Both subject officers continued to shoot at the truck in a hail of gunfire..During this time two people exited the truck..The Mounties said they observed that a “long gun” was being carried by one of these individuals..The person driving the truck would eventually get shot in the leg after running towards a ditch with a duffle bag. He was found to have a gunshot wound to his left femur, which was subsequently repaired at the hospital..The scene examination found the sawed-off shotgun that the person had possessed and discharged during the shootout..The duffle bag carried away as he ran from the truck was found near where he went to the ground. The bag was open and a sawed-off .22 calibre rifle was located lying nearby it. Three empty shotgun shells along with 49 9mm bullet casings were also recovered from the scene..ASIRT ruled the officers were lawfully placed and acting in the execution of their duties, initially dealing with a driver who was refusing to stop the vehicle he was driving. Thereafter, they were dealing with the same person who intentionally rammed a police vehicle.."After a thorough, independent and objective investigation into the conduct of both subject officers, it is my opinion that they were lawfully placed and acting properly in the execution of their duties," ASIRT said.."There is no evidence to support any belief that either of the subject officers engaged in any unlawful or unreasonable conduct that would give rise to an offence. The force used was proportionate, necessary and reasonable in all the circumstances."
