Man sentenced after fatal police shooting northeast of Edmonton

A Lincoln SUV at a gas station in Smoky Lake, Alta. on Aug. 8, 2022.

An Alberta man has been found guilty for his actions in a chain of events that led up to a fatal police shooting last year.

Around 7:20 a.m. on Aug. 8, 2022, in the Saddle Lake Cree Nation area, police attempted to stop a Lincoln SUV because they had received a domestic dispute complaint involving the SUV's owner, Faith Prohl.

The driver of the SUV took off, and police followed onto Highway 652 in Smoky Lake County.

According to the agreed statement of facts, the driver of the SUV was Dawson Steinhauer, and Prohl was in the passenger seat.

Steinhauer reached speeds between 100 and 160 km/h, and on multiple occasions, the driver of the SUV went into the oncoming lane of traffic, forcing oncoming drivers to swerve out of the way, court heard.

Police set up a spike belt at the intersection of Highway 28 and Range Road 155, causing the SUV's tires to deflate, but Steinhauer did not stop.

Prohl leaned out of the SUV multiple times and pointed an SKS rifle at police, court heard, one time firing multiple times at the pursuing officers.

A Lincoln SUV missing a tire at a gas station in Smoky Lake, Alta. on Aug. 8, 2022.

The SUV eventually pulled into a Centex gas station in the town of Smoky Lake, where the two occupants got out of the SUV and ran to a nearby Ram pickup truck parked at one of the pumps.

According to the agreed statement of facts, Steinhauer pointed the rifle at the truck's owner, who had just paid for his gas, and said, "I want your vehicle."

Still carrying the rifle, Steinhauer got into the driver's seat, and Prohl got in the passenger side.

As the pair got into the truck, one of the officers fired his service pistol at them.

The bullet hit the rearview mirror of the truck and continued through the windshield without hitting anyone.

Steinhauer drove the truck out of the parking lot and onto a nearby dirt hiking trail.

Police lost sight of the truck temporarily, but were able to locate it by pinging the phone of the truck's owner, which had been left inside.

Mounties investigate a carjacking at a Smoky Lake, Alta. gas station on Aug. 8, 2022.

Shortly after 10 a.m. police found the empty truck in a bush near the Seventh Day Adventist Church east of Smoky Lake.

A police dog was brought in and tracked Steinhauer and Prohl to a nearby field.

According to the agreed statement of facts, when he saw police, Steinhauer raised his rifle with his right hand on the trigger, and pointed at police.

Police fired their weapons.

Steinhauer and Prohl were then apprehended.

Prohl died on scene as a result of the gunfire.

Steinhauer, who suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and right arm, was taken to hospital by STARS Air Ambulance.

Dawson Steinhauer is taken by STARS Air Ambulance after he was shot by police on Aug. 8, 2022.

On Aug. 20, 2022, Steinhauer was charged with flight from a peace officer, dangerous driving, three counts of possession of a weapon contrary to order, unauthorized possession of firearm, robbery with a firearm, theft over $5000, and two counts of pointing a firearm.

On Wednesday, Steinhauer pleaded guilty to flight from a peace officer, unauthorized possession of a firearm, robbery with a firearm, and one count of pointing a firearm.

According to the agreed statement of facts, Steinhauer was prohibited from being in possession of a firearm as a result of a court order issued on Feb. 28, 2020.

He was also on probation at the time of the events.

Steinhauer was sentenced to five years and has about three years left to serve.

ASIRT was tasked with investigating the police actions that led to the death of Prohl.

That investigation is still underway.