On March 1, 2023, at approximately 3:12 p.m., Vermilion RCMP responded to a request for assistance from EMS for an agitated male having a panic attack. Upon arrival, officers determined that the male was impaired by drugs and required medical attention. Officers assisted in transporting the male to Vermilion hospital, and were asked to remain there while the male was being treated.
At approximately 10:00 p.m., an officer accompanied the male outside so he could have a cigarette. When they were returning to the hospital room, an altercation occurred between the male and the officer that resulted in the officer discharging his service pistol. STARS air ambulance was called and the 33-year-old male, a resident of Lloydminster, was taken to an Edmonton hospital.
No officers were injured during this incident.
The Alberta RCMP believes in processes that seek 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 and initiated our internal review process.
The Director of Law Enforcement deemed this to be "in scope" and has directed the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) to investigate.
Independent of ASIRT's investigation, the Alberta 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 duty status of the members involved will be subject to review. The Alberta RCMP is, of course, fully cooperating with ASIRT and will not be commenting further on this incident. All media inquiries about this incident should now be directed to ASIRT at 780-641-9099.
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