On Nov. 18, 2019, the male was arrested and taken to EPS cells. While he was there, an officer allegedly used force on the male, causing bodily harm.
The evidence gathered during ASIRT’s investigation provided reasonable grounds to believe that an offence had been committed. As is required by the Police Act, the investigation was forwarded to the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service (ACPS) to determine whether the evidence met the standard for prosecution.
Following a review of the investigation and having been advised that the ACPS was of the opinion that the evidence met their standard for prosecution, ASIRT Acting Executive Director Michael Ewenson determined that the involved officer should be charged. On Feb. 17, 2022, Const. Michael Zacharuk was arrested and charged with assault causing bodily harm. He was released on an appearance notice and is scheduled for first appearance on March 23, 2022, in Edmonton Provincial Court.
As this matter is now before the courts, no further information will be released.
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.
This release is distributed by the Government of Alberta on behalf of the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team.