ASIRT completes investigation on firearms incident in Sylvan Lake

On Aug. 6, at approximately 3:17 a.m., officers with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police attended a call for assistance from a residence in Sylvan Lake. The information the police received indicated that a man was armed with a shotgun and had barricaded himself in a bedroom. Officers entered the home and began speaking with the man, who stayed in the bedroom.

The attending officers wore microphones linked to their vehicle’s recording devices, which captured the interaction. During the brief conversation, the man expressed a desire to harm himself and said he did not wish any harm to the attending officers.

The man stayed in the bedroom and did not have any physical interaction with the attending officers before shooting himself. ASIRT verified that none of the attending officers had used their weapons, confirming the man’s injuries were self-inflicted.

In light of the man’s interaction with police, ASIRT was directed to investigate the circumstances leading to his death. All officers acted appropriately and the ASIRT investigation is closed.