No charges will be laid against an officer involved in a fatal shooting on Red Earth Cree Nation in 2023.

On December 19 at 3:41 a.m., the RCMP began receiving a series of 911 calls reporting gunshots on the Cree Nation. Two officers were dispatched, checking homes for the source of the gunshot sounds. As additional resources were arriving on scene, another gunshot was fired, striking the driver’s side window of a police vehicle, and causing minor injuries to the RCMP member operating the vehicle.

The suspect was then spotted holding a long-barreled firearm. He delivered a not-fatal gunshot wound to his own head, fell to the ground, and then proceeded to get up and point the firearm at one of the RCMP vehicles.

This is when the Subject Officer stepped into action, delivering a volley of shots to the man’s body. He fell to the ground before, once again, reaching for his gun. The officer then delivered a second round of shots, knocking the man to the ground for good. Life saving measures were attempted, but the man was declared dead by EMS due to blood loss from both the self-inflicted wound and the officer’s shots.

Investigation determined that the original gunshot occurred when the man killed a dog at a home. The Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team was instructed to investigate the incident, as someone was killed as a result of police force. SIRT deemed all actions taken by the Subject Officer were “proportionate and necessary” due to the threat that the man posed. No charges will be laid.