Alberta’s Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has determined police were not out of line during an arrest in October 2023 at the Slave Lake Walmart when it turned fatal.

The man RCMP were arresting on Oct. 12 died while being arrested.

According to the ASIRT report released Sept. 19, the deceased – referred to only as ‘AP’ in the report – died as a result of “restraint asphyxia combined with struggle and exertion, with the antecedent cause being cocaine intoxication.”

Police were called by Walmart employees and customers, who were alarmed by the behaviour of the man.

According to the ASIRT report, the 50-year-old “had consumed a large amount of cocaine” before entering the store. Once inside, he “began running around the store, yelling, knocking items over, damaging property and assaulting an employee by pushing them.”

Once police arrived, they tried arresting the man, and “a struggle ensued.”

RCMP settled the struggle with the help of a ‘conducted energy weapon, otherwise known as ‘CEW,’ or more commonly called TASER. It was also reported that “multiple strikes to the upper body” of the man were delivered by an officer, who believed the man was trying to get at his (the officer’s) gun.

The man eventually stopped struggling, handcuffs were secured, and a short time later he was unresponsive. Attempts to resuscitate him at the scene were not successful.

The ASIRT report includes evidence from several witnesses – store staff, customers and police officers – as well as video evidence. They pretty much agreed with each other.

The medical examiner “noted a number of minor injuries” consistent with what had happened and determined none of them contributed to the man’s death.

In conclusion, the ASIRT says, “while there was some force used on AP by officers prior to his death, the finding of the medical examiner confirms that while AP’s death was untimely, there are no reasonable grounds, nor reasonable suspicion, to believe that any officers committed an offence(s).”

That might not be the end of it. The report says a fatality inquiry could be ordered, “but that is for the appropriate agency to decide.”