Officer who shot man near Oilers watch party cleared by ASIRT

A man was taken to hospital after he was shot by police following two stabbings in downtown Edmonton on April 29, 2023.

Alberta's police watchdog has cleared an Edmonton police officer of any wrongdoing in a shooting near an Edmonton Oilers watch party last year.

The officer was stationed at the party at Ice District on April 29 during the team's playoff run in a police uniform and yellow vest.

According to the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, (ASIRT) Jordan Reilly Fouquette and his girlfriend were crossing 101 Street at the intersection of 103A Avenue around 9:15 p.m. when his girlfriend became involved in a verbal fight with another group.

ASIRT noted Fouquette and his girlfriend had consumed both alcohol and cocaine before the altercation.

The fight turned physical, Fouquette joined in, and some of the people in the surrounding crowd began to call out for police.

The officer, who had been standing on the west side of 101 Street, responded to the scene with his partner.

The officer's partner reported hearing someone yell "he has a knife" and seeing Fouquette holding a knife above the head of another person with the blade pointed down.

The officer and his partner both commanded Fouquette to "drop the knife" twice, ASIRT says.

Fouquette did not drop the knife and instead began moving toward the officers, according to witnesses interviewed by ASIRT.

The officer fired two shots at Fouquette from his service pistol, hitting him in the left arm and abdomen, and causing him to drop to the ground.

Fouquette was handcuffed, and ASIRT says no other force was used on him.

Other officers and EMS arrived shortly afterwards and Fouquette was taken to hospital along with a man and a woman who had been involved in the fight.

Fouquette and the woman required surgery and spent several days in hospital.

The Edmonton Police Service said Fouquette had stabbed two people during the altercation.

He was charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one count of possession of a weapon dangerous to the public.

The charges have not been proven in court.

In a report released Monday, ASIRT found the officer was justified in "using as much force as reasonably necessary" to prevent the death or bodily harm of other people or the officers and closed the file.

ASIRT's mandate is to investigate incidents of serious injury, death or police misconduct involving Alberta police officers.