The arrest followed an incident that began on 2nd Avenue in Whitehorse and ended in Rotary Park.

At about 11:17 a.m., RCMP officers were dispatched in response to a 911 call reporting a man with an axe. During the arrest at Rotary Park, a confrontation occurred between the man and the responding officers, which resulted in a use of force.

ASIRT’s investigation will focus on the actions of police during this incident, while RCMP will maintain responsibility for the investigation into the initial complaint and the man’s subsequent actions.

ASIRT investigators are asking anyone who was in the area of Rotary Park on July 6 and witnessed this incident or may have photos or video to call ASIRT at 780-644-1483.

As ASIRT’s investigation is underway, no further information will be released at this time.

ASIRT’s mandate is to effectively, independently and objectively investigate incidents involving police that have resulted in serious injury or death to any person, as well as serious or sensitive allegations of police misconduct.

ASIRT

This release is distributed by the Government of Alberta on behalf of the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team.