The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has been directed to investigate the circumstances surrounding an RCMP officer-involved shooting that resulted in the death of a 33-year-old man.

On October 19, at approximately 9:15 a.m., the RCMP responded to a complaint of a sleeping or passed-out driver in a vehicle parked on the side of a range road between Stettler and Red Deer Alberta. Three officers responded and located a vehicle that had been reported stolen. A lone man appeared to be sleeping or unconscious in the driver’s seat.

As two officers approached the driver’s side of the vehicle to address the man and remove him from the vehicle, a struggle ensued and the man put the stolen vehicle in reverse, striking one of the officers with the driver’s door. The reversing vehicle rammed an unoccupied RCMP vehicle parked behind it with enough force to send the cruiser into the ditch and causing it to roll. Two of the three officers fired their service weapons, causing fatal injuries to the man who, once taken to hospital, was declared deceased.

The officer who was struck and dragged was not seriously injured. The remaining two officers were uninjured.

In addition to other evidence, ASIRT investigators have located and secured recorded video of the incident.

The man’s family was notified of the incident. The death of any person, regardless of the circumstances, impacts many and this case is no different. ASIRT extends its most sincere condolences to the family and friends of the man.

As ASIRT’s investigation continues, no further information will be publicly released until it has been concluded and those impacted by the incident and the investigation have been notified of the outcome.

It will be another two weeks until the Aquaplex will be reopened to the public.
The Aquaplex modernization project continues to move forward, however recent challenges mean the opening of the new Aquaplex will be delayed. Originally slated for a November 1 opening, the new opening date will be November 16.
“The contractor has had to deal with a number of issues; primarily with fittings, and this has unfortunately put us behind schedule,” explained Darryl Drohomerski, “these failures have affected the whole schedule; as when one task is not completed on time it can impact on the bigger schedule”.
The Town of Drumheller will extend the length of Aquaplex memberships by the length of the closure. “We recognize the inconvenience that the closure of the indoor pool will cause regular users and want to apologize for the delay,” says Paul Salvatore, Director of Community Services.
The Drumheller Aquaplex originally opened in 1975 and 42 years later, there have been various upgrades. The 2017 Modernization is by far the most extensive update of the facility.
The newly modernized Aquaplex will feature a gradual entry pool basin, new hot-tub and steam room in addition to fresh new floors and surfaces. These improvements will help to reduce maintenance costs in addition to improving the overall aquatics experience.