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The investigation into police conduct that began after officers shot and killed a man at 20th Street West and Avenue S South in Saskatoon more than two years ago is now complete.
Based on a report from the Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT), neither of the two officers involved in the shooting committed an offence.
The findings stem from an incident that occurred on the morning of June 20, 2024.
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According to SIRT’s report, Saskatoon police received a call that morning about a man who had fired a single round from a shotgun in front of the caller. The incident occurred near 20th Street West and Avenue V South.
The caller reported that the man said he was going to shoot but then realized he had the wrong person.
While on the phone, the caller described the shooter and the group he was with, providing police with updates on their location.
Within minutes, members of the Saskatoon Police Service Tactical Support Unit encountered a group near 20th Street West and Avenue S South that matched the caller’s description.
One man in the group was wearing a black-and-white Louis Vuitton-patterned hat similar to the one worn by the shooter.
The two officers got out of their vehicle and issued verbal commands to the 27-year-old man, telling him he was under arrest and ordering him to get on the ground. According to SIRT’s report, the man did not comply.
Instead, he reached for his waistband and pulled out an object police recognized as the barrel of a shotgun. He then began pointing it toward officers.
In response, the two officers fired their service pistols, striking the man multiple times and causing him to fall to the ground. One of the officers immediately radioed police communications to report that shots had been fired.
EMS was called to the scene and pronounced the 27-year-old dead within minutes.
SIRT was notified less than 15 minutes later.
An autopsy determined the man’s cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds. Toxicology results showed he had cocaine, alcohol and methamphetamine in his blood, but none were present at levels high enough to have caused his death.
SIRT wrote in its report that the officers’ accounts were corroborated by “numerous pieces of independently gathered evidence.”
The man’s actions, which included ignoring officers’ commands and producing what appeared to be a firearm, created an immediate and serious threat, according to SIRT.
The agency’s analysis also highlighted how Section 34 of the Criminal Code allows a person, including a police officer, to use reasonable force to defend themselves or others.
As a result, SIRT found the officers’ actions were “proportionate and necessary” and that there are no grounds to believe either officer committed an offence.
