A man who police say broke into a home in central Alberta before being shot and killed by the homeowner last week had encountered RCMP members at the same property on two separate occasions in the days leading up to his death.
The RCMP issued a news release on Tuesday with more details about what preceded the shooting.
“Due to public interest generated by the recent shooting in Red Deer County, Blackfalds RCMP would like to provide more context as to the occurrences that led up to the fatal incident,” police said.
They said shortly after 9 p.m. on Friday, July 30, members of the Blackfalds RCMP detachment were called to a report of a suspicious man seen wandering around a property near Blackfalds.
“The male was banging on the side of the house, scaring the occupants,” police said.
“(The officers) located the male who said he was looking for the former owner of the property. After speaking to involved parties, the male was transported back to Red Deer and warned (that) if he returned to the property, he would face charges.”
The next morning, just after 5 a.m., police said Mounties were called to the same address and found the same man on the property, banging on bedroom windows and trying to get in the home.
“The male was arrested for mischief and released from police custody in Red Deer on conditions,” the RCMP said on Tuesday.
Get daily Edmonton news
Two days later the man died after a confrontation unfolded with the homeowner when he found him in his house.
When police arrived at the home on the afternoon of Aug. 2 after being called about a break and enter, they found the one man dead and the homeowner injured.
READ MORE: Man dead, homeowner injured after home broken into in central Alberta
The RCMP said they were told by witnesses that the homeowner had arrived at his residence to find a man sleeping inside.
“A confrontation then occurred in which the deceased struck the homeowner numerous times with a baseball bat,” the RCMP said. “During the attack, the homeowner was able to retrieve a firearm and shot the deceased one time.”
The homeowner later told Global News that he walked into his bedroom armed with a shotgun and found a man sleeping in his bed. He said he ordered the man to get on the floor and the man started to comply before an altercation unfolded.
The homeowner, who Global News has agreed not to name because of privacy concerns, said he pumped a shell in his gun to show he had a live round ready to go, but when he looked down at his safety, he was attacked with a baseball bat.
He said he tried to escape the home while being attacked and used the gun to block the other man who was striking him. He said he eventually managed to push the safety, turn the gun on the intruder and pull the trigger.
“The taking of life, until you’ve done it, you have no idea the trauma that it has on the person that did it. Until you pull the trigger you have no idea,” he told Global News.
The RCMP said after consulting with the Crown prosecutor’s office, a decision was made not to lay charges against the homeowner.
–With files from Global News’ Melissa Gilligan