At about 9:40 p.m. on July 8, CPS responded to a complaint of a man seated in a Ford truck on the 300 block of Abalone Place NE, who was reported to be acting strangely. Police attended and located the man seated in the driver’s seat of the parked vehicle on the 100 block of Abalone Way. A review of CPS body-worn camera (BWC) footage indicates that upon contact with the man, police noted signs of intoxication and the man admitted to having consumed alcohol. The officers tested him on a roadside screening device, resulting in a “Fail” reading. Following the test, a verbal dispute arose between the man and police, with the man stating that he was leaving and taking his truck home. The man was then advised that he was under arrest for impaired driving. As police attempted to arrest the man, a physical confrontation occurred, during which police used force to take the man to the ground and place him in handcuffs.
Immediately following the man’s arrest, he complained of pain to his ribs and, accordingly, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were requested to attend to the scene. EMS arrived at the location and assessed the man, who indicated that he would seek further medical attention on his own. Police provided the man with transport to his nearby residence, where he was released after being served with a driving suspension under the Immediate Roadside Sanctions (IRS) program.
Later that same day, the man attended to Peter Lougheed hospital, where it was determined he was suffering from internal bleeding. He was transported to Foothills hospital where he was admitted. On July 10, he passed away.
Investigators are asking anyone who may have witnessed the interaction between the man and CPS on the 100 block of Abalone Way NE on July 8, at about 9:50 p.m., to please contact ASIRT at 403-592-4306. 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 Alberta’s police that have resulted in serious injury or death to any person, as well as serious or sensitive allegations of police misconduct.
Editor’s note: On July 23, 2021, this release was amended to reflect that the man passed away on the evening of July 10.
This release is distributed by the Government of Alberta on behalf of the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team.