A 36-year-old man has been charged with manslaughter in connection with an altercation in west Edmonton last month that left a 26-year-old man dead.
Police said Friday that Christopher William Chase had already been arrested and charged with aggravated assault but the charge was upgraded to manslaughter because the victim later died.
Police said they’ve been told that at about 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 21, 2019, the accused got into an “altercation” with the victim outside a convenience store in the area of 107 Avenue and 156 Street. When asked, police declined to say what role, if any, the victim played in the altercation.
In a news release issued on Friday, police alleged Chase approached the victim before pushing and knocking him to the ground. At that point, police said the victim struck his head on the pavement of a parking lot.
The victim, who police say they aren’t publicly identifying because there is no investigative reason to do so, was later taken to hospital by paramedics. He died of his injuries on April 27.
“Autopsy results released by the Edmonton Medical Examiner’s Office earlier this week confirmed the cause of death was blunt force trauma with the manner of death being homicide,” police said.
The charge against Chase was upgraded to manslaughter on Tuesday.