A man killed by an RCMP officer this week on the Whitefish First Nation reserve was seen swinging a knife he was shot, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team said Friday.
St. Paul RCMP were called to the reserve 100 kilometres northwest of St. Paul, at around 6:15 p.m.Wednesday in response to a disturbance involving a 26-year-old man.
ASIRT, which is investigating the case, offered new details on what happened in a news release Friday.
The report of a disturbance involved “a man who was reportedly swinging a weapon,” the release said.
When the first officer arrived, he found the man walking on the side of the road. The officer got out of his vehicle and tried to speak to the man, who was armed with a knife.
“A confrontation occurred between the man and the lone officer that ended with the officer discharging his police service weapon, striking the man,” ASIRT said.
The man was critically injured. When other officers arrived they provided first aid until EMS arrived. The man died while being transported to hospital.
ASIRT, which investigates incidents involving Alberta’s police that result in serious injury or death, is looking into whether the St. Paul RCMP officer involved in the death was justified in their actions. They continue to investigate.
Whitefish Lake First Nations is home to approximately 2,300 people.