UPDATE: On Jan. 13, 2023, ASIRT released the finding of its investigation which concluded that the case did not involve any criminality. The police watchdog explained what led to the firearm being “accidentally discharged.” It described what happened as being a “serious” event with “real consequences” but concluded “it was not criminal.” Click here to view the report in its entirety.
The civilian agency that investigates police incidents in Alberta is now piecing together what led to the injury of a Lethbridge police officer during training.
On Tuesday, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team said it was directed to probe an incident at the Lethbridge Police Service firing range that sent a 35-year-old officer to the hospital.
ASIRT said the incident happened in a room at the range, when one officer, who was handling a firearm, discharged a live round into a table.
“An officer nearby was struck in the upper (left) leg by what is believed, at this stage of the investigation, to be a fragment from the table, resulting in a serious but not life-threatening injury,” ASIRT said in a news release on Wednesday.
“Officers immediately provided medical aid to the injured officer, who was transported to hospital where he remains in stable condition,” ASIRT said.
ASIRT said the fired round was recovered from a nearby wall.
At this time, the agency says no further details about the case will be released.
ASIRT is an independent police watchdog that investigates whenever someone is injured or killed during police activity.
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