Alberta police watchdog to investigate in-custody death in Fort McMurray
Alberta's police watchdog is investigating after a man died last month in the custody of RCMP in Fort McMurray.
In a statement Thursday, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team said it has been directed to investigate after a man died on April 30 during an attempted arrest by Wood Buffalo RCMP officers.
According to ASIRT, police had been called to respond to reports of an intoxicated male in the area of a gas station in the Abasand neighbourhood when a struggle ensued between two officers and the man.
After being handcuffed, the man went into medical distress. He was brought to hospital where he was declared dead.
Fort McMurray is about 430 kilometres north of Edmonton.
ASIRT investigators said a review of security camera footage and video captured by RCMP vehicles at the scene indicate that the attempted arrest was witnessed by multiple people, including some who appear to be videotaping the incident.
Anyone who witnessed the event, or took video of it, are asked to contact ASIRT.
According to a May 1 RCMP news release, police were dispatched to the area of Athabasca Avenue and Abasand Drive at about 4:15 p.m. following reports of man causing a disturbance at a liquor store and outside of a nearby daycare.
Officers responded and spoke with the man, but he refused to leave and then resisted arrest, police said.
Police attempted life-saving measures before the man was taken to hospital.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
22 minutes ago
- CTV News
North Bay fire crews save pets in Monday morning fire
Two pets were rescued from a North Bay kitchen fire Monday morning after the dog reportedly jumped on the stove. The owner was not home during the incident. Two pets were rescued from a North Bay kitchen fire Monday morning after the dog reportedly jumped on the stove. The owner was not home during the incident. Pets rescued after dog believed to have triggered a kitchen fire in North Bay North Bay Fire and Emergency Services responded to a kitchen fire at a Main Street West home early Wednesday morning after a neighbour reported smoke coming from the residence. Zoom Fire fighter crews at the scene of a kitchen fire on June 2, 2025. (Supplied/North Bay Fire and Emergency Services) Firefighters arrived at the scene shortly after 8:30 a.m. to find flames and smoke visible from the kitchen. Crews launched an interior attack and conducted searches, rescuing the family dog and cat. Oxygen given to pets A pair of firefighters giving two household pets oxygen on June 2, 2025. (Supplied/North Bay Fire and Emergency Services) Both pets were given oxygen and are expected to recover. The fire was extinguished less than 30 minutes later. Authorities have confirmed that the homeowner was not present at the time of the fire – a neighbour, alerted by the home's working smoke alarm, noticed smoke and called 911. Early detection helped prevent significant damage. Investigators believe the fire started when the family dog jumped onto the stove, accidentally turning on a burner and igniting items left on the stovetop. A damage estimate has not yet been determined. This marks the second kitchen fire in less than a week in North Bay. Fire officials urged residents to take precautions, including keeping stovetops clear of combustibles, using stove knob covers, and ensuring smoke alarms are functional. 'We're sharing this message because this is a real risk and these fires are preventable,' said Fire Chief Jason Whiteley. 'Help us keep your home and loved ones safe by taking simple, proactive steps.'
Toronto Star
an hour ago
- Toronto Star
RCMP says it's probing potential war crimes related to Israel-Hamas conflict
The RCMP says it is investigating potential war crimes related to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Very few details of the RCMP's probe into what it called the 'Israel-Hamas armed conflict' are known, with the police service confirming the investigation to the Star on Monday, but refusing to answer questions about its scope. The RCMP launched the investigation quietly in early 2024. The lack of announcement stands in stark contrast to the agency's probe into alleged war crimes in Ukraine, which has involved a hotline and dedicated webpage, media interviews, online advertising, signs erected at airports and questionnaires distributed in an attempt to collect witness testimony from fleeing Ukrainians. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The RCMP calls these types of probes 'structural investigations,' which fall under Canada's Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Program (CAHWCP), a joint effort by the RCMP, Department of Justice, Canada Border Services Agency, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. According to its mandate, 'the War Crimes Program supports Canada's commitment towards international justice and the fight against impunity for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.' The program is intended to deny safe haven to war criminals and seek accountability for alleged atrocities either by sharing evidence with other authorities or trying individuals in Canadian courts, the justice department said. It's exceedingly rare, however, for cases to end up in Canadian court. Structural investigations, according to experts interviewed by the Star, are broad, fact-finding missions surrounding a particular conflict or alleged crimes committed against specific groups during a conflict. An RCMP investigator working on the Ukraine probe said the aim for the first year was, according to a CBC News report, 'to preserve evidence, including physical and digital evidence, and gather victims' stories.' 'As a neutral law enforcement body, the RCMP considers allegations from all parties involved with impartiality,' the Crown agency said over email Monday in response to a series of questions. 'To uphold the integrity of this ongoing investigation, the RCMP provides this as its final response on the matter.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The RCMP did not comment on what triggered its investigation in 'early 2024.' Months prior, the Hamas-led massacre on Oct. 7, 2023 left about 1,200 people in Israel dead, most of them civilians. Around 250 people were also taken hostage by Hamas. Over the past 19 months of war, Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. The ministry is led by medical professionals but reports to the Hamas-run government. Its toll is seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts, though Israel has challenged its numbers. Other analyses indicate the total number is far greater. The RCMP's work continues amid rising tension between Canada and Israel. In a joint statement in May, Canada, the U.K. and France denounced an 'expansion of Israel's military operations in Gaza,' with a threat to impose 'targeted sanctions' on the country. The statement also called on Hamas to release its remaining hostages. Last week, Canada urged Israel to abandon plans to authorize 22 Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, noting it would be illegal. The United Nations, meanwhile, recently warned Israel's blockade of aid to Gaza risks 'mass starvation' of Palestinians. According to a statement the Department of Justice provided to the Star last week, the RCMP may launch a structural investigation 'when there is evidence that war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide have occurred or are occurring anywhere in the world, and where there is a specific immigration community in Canada — either on a temporary residence or permanent residence basis — which is sufficiently large so that the RCMP may gather the necessary evidence.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Multiple reports released by an independent UN commission focused on Israel-Palestine allege both Hamas and Israel have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity since October 2023. The decision to launch an investigation rests with the RCMP, the justice department said. While the department answered several questions about the ongoing Ukraine probe, it declined to discuss others, saying the War Crimes Program 'does not comment on active investigations.' (Besides promoting its Ukraine investigation, the RCMP has acknowledged other active probes in the past, such as an investigation into crimes committed against the Yazidi population in Iraq and Syria.) Over email, the RCMP later said 'every investigation, including ... the investigation into the Israel-Hamas conflict, needs a tailored approach and investigative techniques that cannot be applied universally.' In the spring of 2022, roughly six weeks after Russia's invasion, the RCMP announced its investigation into the war in Ukraine. Around the same time, the national police force also sent a contingent of investigators to assist the International Criminal Court's weeks-old investigation into the conflict. 'As we see human casualties pile up and the scale and size of this humanitarian crisis grow alarmingly, it is important that we hold those who are committing the atrocities responsible,' then-public safety minister Marco Mendicino told the Globe and Mail at the time. 'It is essential that we preserve the record of what happened and what is happening in Ukraine in real time,' added Mendicino, who has been serving on a temporary basis as Prime Minister Mark Carney's chief of staff. Mendicino, along with current Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, did not respond to a question about why the government had yet to announce similar investigative efforts related to the war in Gaza.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
CTV National News: Defence closes case in World Juniors sex assault trial
Watch Rick Westhead breaks down what's next as the defence lawyers for five former World Junior hockey players accused of sexual assault closed their case.
