The male was placed under arrest for public intoxication and secured in a police vehicle. The officers attempted to place the female in custody and a struggle occurred during which she was brought to the ground, suffering an injury that required hospitalization and surgery. One officer was also injured during the struggle and required treatment in hospital. The officer was released later the same day. ASIRT’s investigation will examine the use of force by the officers.
As of September 2024, the EPS began providing body-worn cameras to officers in a phased rollout of the devices. The two officers involved in this incident were not yet equipped with body-worn cameras.
The amount of information ASIRT releases in the first stages of an investigation varies depending on the available evidence. In some situations, ASIRT can provide significant early details due to the presence of body-worn camera video footage or other objective evidence. Other times, this may not be possible.
If ASIRT is aware of outstanding witnesses then an early release of details may also risk compromising the independent memory of these witnesses. ASIRT may withhold some details when their release would threaten the integrity of the investigation, including in some situations where objective evidence is available.
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.