Latest news with #SIRT
CBC
4 days ago
- CBC
Regina police charge man in homicide investigation related to fatal police shooting
Regina police have made an arrest in a homicide investigation that was underway when an officer, dressed in plainclothes, fatally shot a 29-year-old man earlier this month. Police have now charged Bradley Gardiner, 19, with manslaughter and forcible confinement in connection to Regina's latest homicide, according to a Regina Police press release. Two weeks ago, on July 14, Regina police were called to the 3,000 block of 4th Avenue where they found the body of Brando Peji, 53. Police originally described Peji's death as suspicious, before deeming it a homicide the following day. Regina's Major Crimes Unit began investigating Peji's death and during that investigation, on July 18, two plainclothes officers verbally confronted a 29-year-old in the alley between Athol and Garnet streets. After issuing commands, one officer shot and killed the 29-year-old, according to a preliminary report by Saskatchewan's Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT). SIRT is an independent civilian-led unit responsible for investigating incidents where people are hurt or killed during interactions with police in Saskatchewan, and is currently investigating the fatal shooting. According to the report, the man killed was "wanted in connection" with the investigation into Peji's death. Police have not identified the 29-year-old man killed. Gardiner made his first appearance in court Friday morning.
CBC
5 days ago
- CBC
Sask. watchdog says no charges warranted in death of man hit by RCMP officer driving to unrelated incident
Saskatchewan's Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) said Thursday there are "no grounds to believe an offence was committed" after investigating an incident where a man was fatally hit by an RCMP truck responding to a separate incident at high speeds. SIRT is an independent civilian-led unit responsible for investigating incidents where people are hurt or killed during interactions with police in Saskatchewan. It began investigating last year, after a Buffalo Narrows RCMP officer struck and killed a 31-year-old man with her vehicle on Aug. 29, 2024, while responding to an unrelated hit and run. The officer was driving on a gravel road in "intermittent dense fog," at speeds ranging from 80 to 150 km/h "depending on the visibility," when she hit the man, according to the SIRT's report, released Thursday. In the report, the SIRT said the call required an "urgent response" from the officer and "unquestionably justified" the officer speeding and using the vehicle's lights and sirens. The unrelated hit and run call reportedly left someone lying in the road. The speed limit where the man was killed, on Highway 909 near the northern settlement of Bear Creek, was 80 km/h. The SIRT report found the officer "demonstrated awareness" of the poor conditions and reacted appropriately by varying her speeds. The officer hit the man at approximately 3:34 a.m. CST while he was lying on his back in the road dressed in black, according to the report. The man was significantly injured at the time, but still breathing when the officer first attended to him, according to SIRT. His breathing and pulse stopped shortly afterwards. The investigated officer and a second RCMP officer, who arrived on the scene afterward, performed CPR. EMS arrived and pronounced the man dead at 4:31 a.m. CST. "The affected person's presence on the highway, lying in the lane of travel while dressed in black, presented an unforeseen event that resulted in an unavoidable and tragic collision," SIRT wrote in the report. No footage SIRT said it interviewed multiple RCMP officers, including the officer being investigated, and seven civilian witnesses for its investigation. It said there was no footage of the vehicle hitting the man, as the camera in the RCMP truck was "non-operational well in advance of the incident." A collision reconstructionist examined the vehicle and the scene, according to the report. Man had interacted with RCMP less than an hour before The man killed is believed to have interacted with RCMP earlier that evening, according to the report. RCMP had pulled a truck truck over for an impaired driving investigation, the report said. A passenger, believed to be the man later killed, fled the truck during the traffic stop, but was not pursued because he was "not subject to police detention at the time," SIRT said. The fatal incident happened less than an hour later, approximately one kilometre from the location of the earlier traffic stop, SIRT said.
CTV News
6 days ago
- CTV News
Watchdog clears Saskatoon police officer after service dog bites man
The Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) has cleared a Saskatoon police officer of any wrongdoing after a police service dog bit a 32-year-old man during an arrest in 2023. According to the investigation report from Saskatchewan's civilian police watchdog, the incident occurred on September 21, 2023, when an officer attempted to stop a vehicle near Avenue R and 21st Street. The vehicle fled, crashed into a bench in a park and the suspect attempted to flee on foot. A police service dog was sent to track the suspect who SIRT says was hiding in a nearby alley. During the arrest, the service dog bit the man's arm, causing serious nerve and muscle damage. The man was then taken to hospital where he was treated. After a lengthy investigation, SIRT concluded that the police service dog's actions were justified and that no police officer committed a Criminal Code offence. The Criminal Code authorizes police to use as much force as necessary to enforce the law, even actions that are likely or intended to cause death or grievous bodily harm — provided it's not excessive or unreasonable in the circumstances, for example if there is no obvious or reasonable alternative. Provided the act in good faith, police and their service dogs are given a fairly wide berth to make those snap judgments in the field — and using force to stop a suspect fleeing from arrest is explicitly referenced in the Criminal Code as a protected act . Permitted to use given a fairly wide berth when it comes to interpreting. According to SIRT, no charges will be laid in this matter. During the investigation all relevant police and civilian witnesses were interviewed, a scene examination was conducted of the incident location, and all relevant video, audio, and documentary evidence was seized. SIRT is an independent watchdog that investigates serious incident involving police including deaths or serious injuries in police custody, police related injuries and allegations of sexual assault or interpersonal violence by police officers. -With files from Rory MacLean
CBC
22-07-2025
- CBC
Plainclothes officer investigating homicide fatally shot man in Regina: police watchdog
The Regina police officer who shot and killed a 29-year-old man in Regina's North Central neighbourhood on Friday was in plain clothes, according to an interim report by the Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT). SIRT is an independent civilian-led unit responsible for investigating incidents where people are hurt or killed during interactions with police in Saskatchewan. The agency released new details of the fatal shooting on Tuesday. The Regina Police Service (RPS) had previously released no details about the victim. According to SIRT, the man who police killed was wanted in connection with a homicide investigation. Plainclothes officers were working on that investigation in the area on the morning of the fatal shooting. SIRT's report said two officers spotted the man on a bike, before confronting him in an alley between Athol and Garnet streets, near Buffalo Meadows Park, at 10:12 a.m. CST. Both officers exited unmarked police vehicles and had a verbal confrontation with the man, issuing "verbal commands," the report said. "One plainclothes member of RPS discharged at single round from a service pistol," SIRT said. The bullet hit the man, the report said. The officers called EMS, which arrived at 10:17 a.m. and pronounced the 29-year-old dead at 10:19 a.m. RPS reported the incident to SIRT at approximately 10:30 a.m. Once SIRT investigators arrived on the scene, a "replica firearm" was recovered and "has been seized as an exhibit" in the on-going investigation. SIRT will release a full report within 90 days of the investigation ending. The agency is asking anyone who may have witnessed the fatal shooting or have video of it to contact them. The original homicide investigation will remain with RPS.
CBC
22-07-2025
- CBC
Watchdog agency called in after Regina police officer fatally shoots someone Friday morning
The Regina Police Service (RPS) says one of its officers shot someone dead in the city Friday morning. RPS said in a news release that it happened just after 10 a.m. CST on the 1300 block of Garnet Street. That's a block west of the Albert Community School. The shooting happened during an investigation, according to the news release, but police didn't release any information about the identity of the person killed or any details of the events leading up to the fatal shooting. Officers cordoned off an alley between Athol and Garnet streets Friday. The victim was in the backyard of a home when the shooting happened. RPS have called in Saskatchewan's Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT), the province's independent police watchdog agency, to investigate. SIRT investigates incidents where people are hurt or killed during interactions with police.
