ASIRT wraps investigation into death, injury of civilians at scene of Edmonton police officer deaths

Crime scene tape and an Edmonton Police Service vehicle block access to Baywood Apartments near 114 Avenue and 132 Street on March 16, 2023.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team has concluded its review into a death and injury of civilians, which both happened at the scene of where two Edmonton Police Service officers were killed earlier this year.

Constables Brett Ryan, 30, and Travis Jordan, 35, were fatally shot when they responded to a family dispute at an apartment in west Edmonton on March 16.

According to EPS, the officers were shot by a 16-year-old boy who lived in the home, moments after they arrived at the apartment.

After the two officers were shot, the boy and his mother allegedly struggled over the gun and the boy shot his mother before fatally shooting himself.

His mother survived the shooting.

Because civilians were harmed during an interaction with police officers, ASIRT was directed to perform a review of the officer's actions that proceeded the injury and death.

"Based on ASIRT’s review, the officers were clearly lawfully placed in responding to a call for assistance from a member of the public. The officers did not engage in any use of force, nor did they engage in any action whatsoever that contributed to the harm suffered by the civilians," ASIRT wrote in a Thursday news release, noting that EPS cooperated fully with the investigation.

"While such cooperation is both necessary and required for a proper review, that such cooperation came from people who were grieving the very recent loss of their colleagues bears mentioning," the release stated.

ASIRT is tasked with investigating any police incident involving civilian injury or death.