911 tip helps clear Edmonton police officers in 2022 shooting death of wanted man

ASIRT says this paintball gun was being held by a 39-year-old man when he was shot and killed by police on March 12, 2022. (ASIRT)

Alberta's police watchdog has cleared two police officers who shot and killed a 39-year-old man in Edmonton in 2022.

The man, wanted on 21 outstanding warrants, was being followed by police after receiving a tip about his location.

According to police, the person who called in the tip said the man was armed and had said "he would rather die than go to jail."

Multiple units followed the man to an apartment building near 105 Street and 38 Avenue.

When police moved in to attempt an arrest, ASIRT said the man jumped into his car and refused multiple orders from police.

ASIRT said the man "was appearing to try and retrieve something from the back seat" before turning back around with what appeared to be a firearm.

When he refused multiple orders to drop the gun, ASIRT said two police officers fired a total of seven rounds at the man.

He was hit multiple times and died.

A BB gun and a paintball gun were later found in the car.

On Wednesday, ASIRT said the two officers were justified when they shot and killed the man.

In the reasons, they cited the realism of the paintball gun and the tipster's claim that the man was armed and "would rather die" than be arrested.

"While the 'gun' (the man) possessed turned out to be a paintball gun, there was no reasonable way to determine this at the time," ASIRT said in its decision. "The subject officers were reasonable in believing that it was a real gun capable of causing death or grievous bodily harm to themselves.

"As such, their respective responses to this reasonably perceived lethal threat were both proportionate and necessary."

Neither police nor ASIRT have released the name of the man who was killed.