The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has cleared Alberta RCMP officers in two separate use-of-force incidents that occurred on the same day last year on two First Nations, finding their actions justified.
ASIRT conclusions
ASIRT executive director Matthew Block concluded the Parkland RCMP officer who deployed a Taser and handcuffed a man during a mental-health call on June 24, 2025, at the River Cree Resort and Casino on the Enoch Cree Nation acted reasonably and that the force did not contribute to the man’s death.
"It was proportionate to the risk the AP presented," Block wrote, referring to the use of the controlled energy weapon in the Enoch incident.
The same ASIRT release also found RCMP use of lethal force was justified in a separate incident that day on the Ermineskin Cree Nation, where officers shot and killed a man after he reportedly brandished a pipe gun and approached police.
What happened at River Cree Resort and Casino
According to ASIRT’s report, the Enoch call began when a man called his spouse in distress and she contacted police. Witnesses inside the resort reported screaming and breaking glass from his room; occupants in the suite below said they heard yelling and saw blood-covered furniture and glass falling onto an outdoor terrace.
When officers entered the suite they encountered the man on a windowsill holding a large glass shard — an object ASIRT said could have been used as a weapon. Officers attempted verbal de-escalation before the man jumped out the window and began to "smash into another room," the report says. An officer deployed a Taser in three cycles to allow officers to remain safe, ASIRT said.
Once the man was on the ground he ceased moving. Officers administered Naloxone and provided first aid. An autopsy conducted June 27, 2025, at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Edmonton found the cause of death to be "cardiorespiratory arrest due to, or as a consequence of, hyperactive delirium with agitation and the effects of cocaine." The pathologist directly addressed the use of the Taser and handcuffing and stated they did not contribute to the death, ASIRT reported.
Ermineskin shooting
The ASIRT report also examined a separate June 24, 2025, encounter on the Ermineskin Cree Nation in which a man with a weapons ban was shot and killed after allegedly brandishing a pipe gun and approaching RCMP officers. ASIRT concluded the officers’ use of lethal force was justified in that incident.
Summary of the two cases
| Incident | Date | Location | ASIRT finding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental-health call involving Taser and handcuffing | June 24, 2025 | Enoch Cree Nation (River Cree Resort and Casino) | Use of force justified; Taser/handcuffing did not contribute to death |
| Shooting after man brandished pipe gun | June 24, 2025 | Ermineskin Cree Nation | Use of lethal force justified |
Context and community implications
Both incidents raise recurring concerns about policing on and around Indigenous communities in Alberta, particularly when mental-health crises intersect with law enforcement. ASIRT is the civilian agency that investigates serious incidents involving police in Alberta, and its findings are central to public understanding and accountability in cases of serious injury or death.
In the Enoch case, ASIRT’s report notes multiple indicators of acute distress and potential intoxication. The pathologist’s conclusion pointing to a combination of hyperactive delirium and the effects of cocaine places the medical cause of death outside the direct impact of police measures, according to the report. ASIRT’s assessment emphasised the officer’s attempt at de-escalation and the perceived immediate risk posed by the glass shard.
At Ermineskin, ASIRT’s finding that lethal force was justified follows the agency’s review of circumstances in which the subject allegedly armed himself and approached officers. The report notes the subject was under a weapons ban, though ASIRT’s public summary provides limited operational detail beyond the finding of justification.
Practical information for residents
ASIRT’s findings do not preclude civil proceedings or other reviews where families or community members seek further examination. For now, the reports stand as the agency’s formal determinations on whether officers’ actions met legal and professional standards in these two incidents.
- ASIRT investigates serious incidents involving police and issues public reports with findings.
- Medical examiner reports can attribute cause of death to medical conditions and substances even when police action occurred.
- Communities impacted by police use of force may pursue independent reviews or legal remedies beyond ASIRT’s findings.
Both cases underscore the complex overlap of mental health, substance use, and public safety that confronts emergency services and police across Alberta. ASIRT’s reports provide a factual record and a legal assessment, but they also leave unsettled questions about prevention, crisis response and supports on First Nations — issues that community leaders, health services and policing authorities will continue to grapple with.
— Alberta correspondent
