On Jan. 30, 2024, at approximately 7:22 p.m., as the result of a report of a suspicious person, Leduc RCMP conducted a traffic stop of a Dodge pickup on Capris Road in Leduc.
During the interaction with the occupants of the vehicle, the driver produced a firearm, the pickup rammed an officer's police vehicle, and the officer discharged his service firearm. The suspect vehicle then fled the scene. The officer was not injured during this interaction.
A short time later, the suspect vehicle was observed by Wetaskiwin RCMP officers. A pursuit was initiated, and a spike belt successfully deployed. RCMP, with the assistance of EPS Air 1 and a police dog were able to locate and arrest two suspects. One of the suspects was taken to hospital with minor injuries sustained during the arrest. The suspects were not injured from their initial interactions with police.
As a result of the investigation, RCMP have charged a 24-year-old individual, of no fixed address, with:
- Assaulting peace officer with weapon
- Flight from police
- Pointing a firearm
- Possession of a firearm contrary to order
The 24-year-old individual has been taken before a justice of the peace and remanded into custody with a next court date set for Feb. 8, 2024, at the Alberta Court of Justice in Leduc.
A 20-year-old individual, a resident of Wetaskiwin, Alta., has been charged with:
- Assaulting peace officer with weapon
- Flight from police
The 20-year-old individual has been taken before a justice of the peace and released from custody with a next court date set for Feb. 15, 2024, at the Alberta Court of Justice in Leduc.
The RCMP believes in processes that seeks the facts, and it's important that processes taken to assess the actions of all those involved, including the police, are fair, transparent and defendable. This is why, as soon as we became aware of this incident, we immediately notified the Director of Law Enforcement (DLE). The incident was determined to be in-scope with the DLE directing the RCMP to investigate. The RCMP's internal review process has been implemented to gather a full account of what took place during this incident. RCMP training, policy, police response and the member's duty status will be subject to review.