The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is investigating after a 59-year-old man was fatally shot by an Edmonton police officer late Friday night following a series of hit-and-run incidents and assaults with a blunt object.
Incident Details
Around 11:58 p.m., Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (EFRS) called city police for assistance after a collision between a vehicle and an EFRS truck. According to a Saturday afternoon police news release, “It was reported that the male driver of the vehicle attempted to assault emergency personnel with a blunt object before fleeing the scene.”
A similar vehicle was reportedly involved in two other hit-and-run reports in southwest Edmonton. “In those incidents, a male driver allegedly assaulted complainants with a blunt object before fleeing. One driver sustained minor injuries,” said police.
Confrontation and Shooting
Officers located a residence on Christie Vista S.W. in Edmonton, where a vehicle matching the description from the earlier incidents was observed in an open garage. The vehicle appeared to have recent collision damage. “Officers contained the residence, and when attempting to make contact with the subject, a confrontation occurred between a male suspect armed with edged weapons and one officer discharged a firearm,” police said in the release.
“Officers attempted life-saving measures; however, the 59-year-old male was pronounced deceased at the scene by EMS.” No officers or other emergency personnel were injured.
Investigation Underway
Edmonton police submitted a 43.2 notification to the CEO of the Police Review Commission, who has directed ASIRT to conduct an investigation into the case. This fatality follows an RCMP officer-involved shooting death in Cold Lake on Thursday.
According to the Police Review Commission’s (PRC’s) Q4 data report, between Dec. 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026, ASIRT opened 20 Level 1 investigations involving the most serious matters, including death, serious injury, or serious and sensitive allegations. “The report doesn’t break those ASIRT files down by incident type, such as officer-involved shootings. Future public reporting is expected to include additional layers of analysis and more refined categorization as our new reporting system matures,” said Jason van Rassel, senior manager for community connections for the PRC, in an emailed response.
