EDMONTON – Alberta’s police watchdog has cleared an RCMP officer in the fatal shooting of a knife-wielding man in Lac La Biche, concluding the officer’s use of force was reasonable and no criminal charges are warranted.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team released its decision Wednesday, nearly a year after the July 27, 2025 confrontation in the northeastern Alberta community, about 200 kilometres south of Fort McMurray and a frequent destination for summer travellers.
According to the report, officers responded after a 911 call reporting a man had threatened family members with knives before leaving the home while still armed. Family members also told officers he was living with schizophrenia, was not taking prescribed medication and had previously threatened police.
Investigators found officers repeatedly directed the man to drop two knives and attempted to de-escalate the situation before one officer used a conducted energy weapon. During the ensuing struggle, the man stabbed one officer before advancing toward another officer, who opened fire. The man died at the scene after being struck by seven bullets. Toxicology later found methamphetamine in his system.
ASIRT concluded the officer reasonably believed lethal force was necessary to protect himself, another officer who had been stabbed, and nearby civilians.
“The SO’s use of force was proportionate, necessary, and reasonable,” Acting Executive Director Matthew Block wrote in the decision. “As a result, there are no reasonable grounds to believe that an offence was committed.”
The watchdog also examined whether officers waited too long before providing medical care. It found the roughly six-minute delay before CPR began was reasonable because the man continued holding the knives after the shooting, officers first had to secure the scene, and one officer required treatment for stab wounds. Investigators concluded any delay did not contribute to the man’s death.
The report noted the subject officer had been responding to calls independently for only about one month after completing field training.
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