A review has found that the two Edmonton police officers who were killed in the line of duty in March were acting lawfully, and their actions did not contribute to the woman’s injuries nor the youth’s death.
When the two EPS officers were shot and killed during a call on March 16, the 16-year-old suspect took his own life and his 55-year-old mother was injured.
Because civilians “suffered harm during an interaction with police,” the Alberta Serious Injury Response Team (ASIRT) was directed to review the call and Edmonton police investigation leading up to the deaths and injury.
Police previously said the officers were responding to a domestic violence call at Baywood Apartments near 114 Avenue and 132 Street near Westmount Mall.
The two officers were met outside the complex by the suspect’s mother, who had called 911.
After meeting the mother outside, the two officers went up to the suite where she lived with a 73-year-old man and their 16-year-old son.
As soon as they arrived at the suite at 12:47 a.m., both officers were shot multiple times by the 16-year-old and were “immediately incapacitated,” EPS said.
Police said neither officer had time to draw and fire their own guns and they never made it inside the apartment.
A struggle reportedly ensued between the mother and son over the gun, and the suspect shot his mom before turning the weapon on himself, taking his own life.
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The mother was sent to hospital in critical condition.
The two officers were Const. Travis Jordan, 35, who had been with EPS for 8.5 years, and Const. Brett Ryan, 30, who had been with the service for 5.5 years.
“The Edmonton Police Service has been marked by a really unthinkable and horrific tragedy as two of our members have died in the line of duty,” Chief Dale McFee said on March 16.
“I can’t tell you how devastated we are by their loss,” the police chief said. “We know that their family and friends, their family, their entire community will be profoundly impacted by this incident.”
In a news release Thursday, ASIRT said its investigation found the officers “were clearly lawfully placed in responding to a call for assistance from a member of the public.”
“The officers did not engage in any use of force, nor did they engage in any action whatsoever that contributed to the harm suffered by the civilians.”
ASIRT said it reviewed all relevant evidence, including witness statements from both civilians and officers, physical evidence from the scene, autopsy reports, police radio transmissions and the firearms of the officers and the youth.
ASIRT said EPS provided its “complete cooperation” with the review.
“While such cooperation is both necessary and required for a proper review, that such cooperation came from people who were grieving the very recent loss of their colleagues bears mentioning,” the agency said.
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