Investigators with the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) are investigating after a 20-year-old man died while in police custody Sunday.
On Saturday, February 11, Beaverlodge RCMP received a call over a potential break and enter in progress at a rural home near Goodfare, Alberta – officers responded and went into the home (after receiving permission from the homeowner).
As police checked the home, they came across a man lying on a couch – he stood up and picked up a nearby shotgun, and the officers retreated and then surrounded the home as they waited for backup.
Police tried to make contact with the man, but were not successful. When officers finally went into the home again, they found the body of the man.
The man’s death is considered an in-custody death, as he was in a home under the custody and control of RCMP officers. As a result, ASIRT is investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.
Investigators have spoken with witnesses and examined the scene, evidence shows no shots were fired at any time by RCMP officers.
The investigation is ongoing.
