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33-year-old Kirk Steele was shot by police after service dog Wizzard was stabbed.

At about 1:37 a.m. on July 27th, 2006 plain-clothed officers were in the vicinity of a "house of interest" at 6907 99 Street when a Chevrolet Cobalt parked close by.

Four men exited the car – armed with bats, batons and a pit bull.

Police intercepted and took two of the men into custody while the other two fled on foot. The canine unit and Air-1 were called in to assist.

Police determined the four men had intended to enter the home they were observing.

Uniformed officers approached the house to check on the welfare of its occupants and were invited inside. There they encountered a man who sprang from where he had been hiding.

The man challenged police with a knife and then escaped out a bathroom window.

The man fled westward and refused police demands to stop and drop the knife.

Wizzard pictured with handler Cst. Bruce Edwards

Police service dog Wizzard, a German shepherd, was then released (pictured with handler Cst. Bruce Edwards).

"As the police service dog approached the subject, he slowed, turned around and aggressively began stabbing our police dog," a police spokesman said.

"Given those circumstances, the officer's only choice at that time was to pull his weapon, resulting in shots being fired and the suspect being hit."

Witnesses told the Edmonton Sun that police fired between three and five shots. Police didn't say how many shots were fired or how many may have hit the suspect.

Police said the man wasn’t shot because he was stabbing Wizzard, but because of the overall “level of aggression” he was displaying.

“Based on the situation at hand and level of aggression shown, the man was determined to be a considerable threat to the officers and to the general public, and shots were fired,” the spokesman said.

It was reported the man was shot by the dog's handler, Cst. Bruce Edwards.

The suspect was transported to University of Alberta Hospital where he was listed in critical but stable condition.

Wizzard underwent emergency surgery and was expected to make a full recovery.

Wizzard was seven years old at the time of the incident and had been with the canine unit for 5 years, making him of one of the more senior of the eleven dogs used by police.

CTV Edmonton interviewed a neighbour who said police had been "scoping out the house" for some time.

Police are still seeking the two suspects who fled on foot.

As with any officer-involved shooting, homicide detectives took over the investigation.

Shot six times

On July 28th, 2006 the Edmonton Sun reported the service dog stabbing suspect was shot six times by police.

The Sun quoted sources close to the investigation who said Cst. Bruce Edwards fired six shots at the man and that Wizzard did bite the man during the confrontation.

Police said that Edwards took administrative leave as a result of the incident. They also announced the RCMP were called in to oversee the investigation of the shooting being conducted by the Edmonton police homicide unit and internal affairs.

"A person cannot be shot just because they are stabbing a dog. So now the investigators have to look into all of the circumstances to see what the purpose was," a police spokesman said.

The Sun interviewed Edmonton lawyer Tom Engel who said it wasn't surprising the dog was stabbed.

“These dogs inflict grievous bodily harm and a hell of a lot of pain. It has to be expected that the guy is going to try to fend off the dog.”

Engel also questioned whether it was necessary for police to shoot the man.

“Didn't they have a Taser? Did they have to open fire on him?”

A police spokesman said whether the officers were equipped with Tasers would be part of the investigation.

Wizzard was released from an animal hospital and was resting comfortably at home.

Call for independent investigation

At a press conference held August 1st, 2006, Tom Engel, now retained by the family of the man shot by police, announced he had forwarded a letter to Solicitor General Harvey Cenaiko calling for an independent investigation into the shooting.

“The family has no confidence that the Edmonton Police Service, whether it is supervised by the RCMP or not, will conduct an unbiased investigation,” he wrote.

Engel said an investigation supervised by RCMP is “unacceptable.”

Engel’s letter said Kirk Steele’s family was advised by medical staff that Steele suffered dog bites on his left arm and was shot twice in his abdomen, twice in the arms, once in the back and once in his buttocks.

“Kirk Steele is in hospital in critical condition on life support. He is now breathing on his own and his family is hopeful that he will not die. He has had two surgeries and has lost a kidney and part of his colon. He may require further surgery,” the letter stated.

Engel said statements made by police to the media show they have already pre-judged the case and therefore shouldn’t be involved in investigating their own members.

A police spokesman said at the time that Steele wasn’t shot just because he had stabbed the dog but because he was a threat to officers and the general public.

“All these public statements indicate a pre-judgment on crucial issues of fact in this matter and show why it is particularly necessary in this case for you to have another police service take over the investigation as quickly as possible,” the letter read.

Engel requested the Alberta solicitor general department exercise its power to direct another police service take over the investigation or to appoint civilians to observe, monitor and review the probe. He also wrote to Chief Mike Boyd asking him to order an independent investigation if Cenaiko turned down the request.

A spokesman for the Solicitor General’s Department said the city police department was already following proper protocol in calling in the RCMP to conduct an investigation. Andy Weiler said that once the investigation was complete, the report would be sent to the Crown prosecutor's office.

At the time of the shooting, Kirk Dwight Steele was the subject of a Canada-wide warrant issued for being unlawfully at large. He had a history of violent criminal offences, including 11 convictions between 1992 and 2000.

Steele was serving a seven-year sentence for three counts of robbery, break and enter, possession of drugs, disguised with intent, assault with a weapon and failure to comply when he was released on parole in August 2004 and required to live in a halfway house.

Steele's parole was suspended in November 2004 after he failed to return to the halfway house and was found in what court documents referred to as a "known crack house." His status was upgraded from medium- to maximum-security offender before he was released a second time on April 13th, 2006. He disappeared a month later.

When police issued the Canada-wide warrant, Steele was described as armed and dangerous and was not to be approached.

Family reaction

On August 2nd, 2006 media outlets carried interviews with Kirk Steele's family who released pictures of him lying while on life support in an intensive care hospital bed.

"Why did they shoot him six times? You wouldn't shoot an animal six times," asked Daphne Steele, Kirk's mother.

"We're praying. The church is praying. Everyone is praying," Daphne said. "We have a strong congregation and they're praying for him. They activated the prayer chain so people in the United States and Canada are praying for Kirk."

Daphne said she had tried to persuade Kirk not to leave the halfway house but he didn't listen. He ran from cops because he'd broken parole and didn't want to go back to jail, she said.

"I'm still angry inside because what they did was wrong. He's a human being. All he broke was parole. He didn't kill anybody.

Daphne says she wanted justice but didn't want Cst. Edwards removed from the force.

"In my heart I don't hate him. I hate what he did to my son. I think he should go for a psychiatric evaluation because you have to be an angry person to shoot somebody six times. I could understand if my son had killed somebody. Still it would be wrong to shoot somebody six times. But for a parole violation?"

Daphne said the family first became concerned when police failed to inform them that her son had been shot. She said a woman, who was with Kirk during the incident, called the afternoon after the shooting. Police said the woman who notified the Steeles was considered Kirk's common-law wife.

"If my son dies, which is a possibility, we won't hear the full story of what happened," Daphne said.

"But from what I saw (at the hospital), I just form my own conclusions that if someone is running away from me, how can I shoot someone in the stomach?"

Daphne said her son has not fully awakened since the shooting and two subsequent surgeries.

Kirk Steele has a six-year-old daughter in Saskatchewan, but the mother has not told her what has happened.

No charges were laid against Steele and the investigation continues.

On August 8th, 2006 the Edmonton Sun reported that Steele had woken up and was taken off life support.

"He went to death's door and came back," said Daphne Steele, Kirk's mother. "Only God can do that. I can't tell you the gladness in my heart ... My son almost died and he came back to us. It's a wonderful feeling."

Doctors had recently taken Kirk Steele off a ventilator as his breathing improved but he remained weak and was being fed vanilla ice cream and chicken broth, said Daphne.

"Oh my goodness. If it weren't for God he wouldn't be here," Daphne said from hospital where family had gathered at Kirk's bedside. "Our prayers were answered."

According to his mother Kirk promised to change his ways.

"He tells the family he's sorry for everything. He's planning to change."

First interview

Also on August 8th, 2006, Kirk Steele granted an exclusive interview with CTV Edmonton.

Wearing shackles while still hooked up to intravenous lines, Steele was anxious to tell his side of the story.

"What happened happened, what's done is done," he said.

On camera Tom Engel, Steele's lawyer, outlined what was contained in a letter to police chief Mike Boyd.

"[Kirk] said he was running with the knife and the dog attacked him. He defended himself with the knife.

"Then he heard police say 'He's got a knife – shoot him.' He was down on the ground by this time from the dog putting him on the ground.

"Dropped the knife and ran thinking that the police would not shoot him then.

"He was shot in the arms, he went down, he got up to run again and he was shot in the back.

"He was down on the ground. The police officer or officers kicked him, told him to roll over -- he rolled over.

"[He] saw two bright flashes of light, and heard two loud bangs. And then he doesn't remember anything until he woke up in the hospital."

Steele claimed as officers were taking him down he heard officers yell racial slurs.

Police earlier confirmed that Cst. Bruce Edwards, Wizzard's handler, was the only one to fire his weapon.

Steele also told CTV he was through with his gang lifestyle, and would not speak to Edmonton police.

He said the letter to Chief Boyd was all he was going to say until his day in court. No charges had so far been laid.

Daphne Steele, Kirk's mother, added, "It would take me long time to really trust the police force."

On August 9th other media added to television statements made by Tom Engel.

Engel said Steele ran from police at a house party because he knew there were warrants out for his arrest over parole violations. Steele claimed he did nothing to provoke police to shoot him apart from holding a knife.

According to the letter filed with police, Steele and his girlfriend hid in the bathroom while police entered the house. Steele denied he threatened them with a knife when they opened the bathroom door.

Steele claimed he stabbed Wizzard in self-defence. He also said police kicked him in the ribs and leg while he lay bleeding on the ground.

"There's no other reasonable explanation for the two flashes of light and the bangs and when you look at the number of times he was shot – six times – it all adds up," Engel said.

The lawyer repeated his request for an outside investigation.

"Obviously, his version is dramatically different than that the police have been saying. It underlines the need for the EPS to relinquish their investigation and turn it over to an independent police service," Engel said.

A police spokesman said Chief Boyd received the letter and "will be reviewing it." No comment was offered on the specific allegations the letter contained.

On August 14th, 2006 the Edmonton Journal reported that Wizzard, the police service dog stabbed by Steele, was expected to return to active duty in the first week of September.

Wizzard back in service

On August 28th, 2006 police service dog Wizzard was back in action and putting the bite on crime.

At about 2:15 a.m. an officer observed a male operating a stolen white Chevrolet truck near 79th Avenue and Gateway Boulevard. A chase got underway and the truck ended up hitting a fence and railroad track near 49th Street and 96th Avenue.

The suspect ran from the vehicle and Cst. Bruce Edwards and PSD Wizzard found the man in a refinery south of 101st Avenue near 39th Street.

Jason Anthony Zeller, 31, was charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000, possession of stolen property under $5,000, criminal flight and dangerous driving.

For Cst. Edwards and Wizzard, it was their second shift on the job after the Steele shooting. On their third shift, Wizzard tracked two youths who bolted from a stolen van at 50th Street and 98th Avenue.

"He's right back at it ... He's still willing," EPS Sgt. Colin Quast said.

Speaking to whether there were any lingering effects on Wizzard's confidence, Quast said it remained to be seen.

"We won't know until that exact situation is encountered," he explained, adding Wizzard had fared well in training. "(But) what happens out on the street cannot be mimicked."

"It's just great to be back," Cst. Edwards said, announcing that he and Wizzard as a team planned to retire in 12 months.

But just as Wizzard made news being back on duty came word that another police service dog was being removed from service.

On August 27th, 2006 Cst. Glen Thursby took his service dog, Sam, to the police union's Blue Meadows campground in Edmonton's west end.

At some point the leashed dog bit two 11-year-old boys, Thursby's son Zach and his cousin. Zach required 40 stitches to the head.

Sam was removed from duty and on September 7th he was put down – see No Sam I Am.

Dog-handler promotion re-considered

On January 4th, 2007 the Edmonton Sun reported that Cst. Bruce Edwards would be promoted to the rank of detective effective January 22nd. The story was confirmed by Edmonton Police Service spokesman Staff Sgt. Greg Alcorn.

Alcorn said he wasn't concerned about the optics of promoting Edwards while an investigation into the Steele shooting was still underway.

"All things are considered when people are promoted. I'm not worried about it in the sense that Bruce Edwards is an excellent police officer, and he has all the skill sets to do what he's been promoted to do," Alcorn said.

But Tom Engel, Steele's lawyer, called the promotion "disconcerting."

"It's a pattern in the EPS – promoting officers that are under investigation for very serious matters. It's very disappointing that this pattern is continuing with Chief (Mike) Boyd," Engel said.

"You would think that if Chief Boyd wanted to change the perception of his police service, he would start with things like this."

Engel noted that Edwards was also involved in the case of Charles Jacob Wula, a Sudanese immigrant who escaped a pursuit led by Edwards and Wizzard by running into the North Saskatchewan River near Rundle Park on July 17th, 2005.

The 38-year-old man was fleeing from police because he had breached a court order to keep away from his wife's home after their divorce. His body was spotted nearly a week later in the river near 195th Avenue and 25th Street.

The case was the subject of a fatality inquiry.

Engel also took issue with the announced promotion of Cst. Aubrey Zalaski.

Zalaski was charged in May 2006 with one count of assault with a weapon (a Taser) in relation to an August 9th, 2004 jay-walking incident involving Paul Cetinski Jr. outside police headquarters.

(Zalaski was later convicted and received a conditional discharge. In November 2007 the verdict was overturned and Zalaski was awarded a new trial. He continues to host Cop Talk, a phone-in show on 630 CHED.)

"The message it sends to officers who have been promoted is that it doesn't matter that they've done a misconduct," Engel said. "Of course it harms the reputation of the Edmonton Police Service."

Senior police officials sprang into damage control.

"They haven't been promoted yet," said Deputy Chief Darryl Da Costa. "There's always the concern about optics and we have to do not only what's right but what's seen to be right."

Staff Sgt. Alcorn said unproven allegations shouldn't prevent officers from advancing their careers.

And Edmonton Police Association president Peter Ratcliff called the officers "outstanding" and deserving of promotion.

But Samuel Walker, an expert in police accountability at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, said it was "outrageous" the promotions seemed to be going ahead and that police should wait until the charges were resolved.

"One of the major lessons is you can talk all you want (about professionalism and accountability) but you have to enforce it," Walker said.

Within a week Chief Boyd said the promotions were an unintentional oversight and that he had taken steps to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Boyd claimed he wasn't aware of the promotion until he read about them in the Edmonton Sun.

"I wish we had learned about this by other means," Boyd said. It seemed no one in the chief's committee was aware that a "cloud of controversy" lingered over some officers on the promotions list.

Boyd said that after reviewing the list, he elected to "do the right thing" and wait to promote Edwards and Zalaski until their cases were resolved. He added that both officers are highly regarded.

"It's more the circumstances than the individual. It could be any police officer," Boyd said.

"I understand what the officers are going through," he said referring to the long and drawn-out complaint process. "But we need to make the appropriate decision around the timing of a promotion."

Boyd said "a few other names" on the original promotions list were also affected, but he wouldn't go into details. He added that the promotions process had been "tweaked" so that officers under investigation don't end up on the list in future.

Engel wondered how Boyd wasn't aware of the history and qualifications of each of the officers he was considering promoting.

"It leads me to believe he didn't read the list of names and signed off on the document," Engel said. "We hope he recognises he will have to exercise due diligence in terms of reviewing applications for promotion."

Engel suggested Boyd also turn his attention to those recommending the promotions.

"We would like to know who was responsible for putting these promotions before Chief Boyd and asking them to be promoted," Engel said. "What's going to be done about those people responsible?"

No disciplinary action

On November 2nd, 2007 the Edmonton Police Service announced that newly-promoted Sgt. Bruce Edwards would face no charges in connection with the shooting of Kirk Steele.

The service conducted a criminal investigation into the shooting, which was reviewed by the RCMP and then reviewed again by the Crown prosecutor's office in Calgary.

Chief Mike Boyd said that all parties had cleared Edwards of any wrongdoing.

"No criminal charges are warranted against Constable Edwards or any other member of the Edmonton Police Service," Boyd stated.

"My finding is that all officers acted appropriately and under the circumstances. Therefore, to be clear, there will be no charges of police misconduct laid," the chief said.

In addition, Boyd said there was no evidence to support claims that officers made racist statements toward Steele during and after the shooting.

When questioned whether the Edmonton public might not consider that shooting a man armed with a knife six times as excessive, Boyd replied: "You have to take all the circumstances into account."

He said the participation of the RCMP and the Calgary Crown Attorney's Office in the investigation attested to its impartiality.

"They've reviewed all of the facts and circumstances and it was their opinion that no charges be laid against the officers," Boyd said.

"I want the people of Edmonton and of Alberta to see the transparency in the thoroughness of our process," Boyd said.

However, when Boyd was questioned how the review's conclusion was reached he offered little.

"I'm not prepared to get into the details and one of the reasons is because of the forthcoming criminal prosecution and I don't want to say anything that would tend to prejudice that matter in the courts."

Tom Engel, Steele's lawyer, said he was not surprised by the chief's decision, adding that evidence wasn't provided and that the matter was far from finished.

"Chief Boyd likes to preach transparency. But where's the transparency here? There's none.

"The decision not to charge Edwards was clearly wrong and we're appealing it to the Law Enforcement Review Board," Engel said.

"The decision not to charge him criminally is wrong. Even more wrong is the decision not to even charge him with a police act charge."

About the official investigation, Engel demonstrated little faith. "I doubt very much if it was conducted or objectively. It's a terrible decision but there's no surprise to it at all.

"One message is that the Edmonton Police Service will hang on to investigating themselves even in the most serious of incidents."

Engel spoke about his client's actions.

"Then, when he's down on the pavement and he's no longer a flight risk or any kind of risk – he's been shot – then he's shot again.

"Now that's attempt murder ... and it's clearly not justified."

Police also announced that on November 1st Steele was arrested in Calgary, where he now lived, and was charged with possession of a weapon, obstructing a police officer and escape from lawful custody.

"It's no blow at all, because we knew that the [police] would do this. It's just a matter of time," Engel said. "They would exonerate themselves, charge him criminally and then we would go to trial. So it's actually, I suppose, for a lack of better words, part of the plan."

Engel said he was almost glad his client was criminally charged because it meant there was a chance the whole story would come out under oath in court.

Boyd said he would give details of the investigation to Steele's lawyer under disclosure requirements for his defence.

But Engel said that avoided airing the evidence in public, because defence lawyers are prohibited from discussing disclosure files outside court.

Steele was scheduled to appear in court December 6th, 2007 (no details of the appearance and/or subsequent hearings have been published by media).

Engel also questioned the timing of Edwards' promotion to the rank of sergeant, which took place a week before Boyd announced the officer was cleared.

The lawyer also revealed that two Edmonton detectives told Steele the findings of the Edwards investigation while arresting him in Calgary.

Engel said his client told him one detective asked if Steele had any remorse for stabbing Wizzard.

The lawyer said that when Steele replied by asking if the police have any remorse for shooting him, the detective got angry and left the room.

Contacted in Ontario, Steele's mother Daphne was angry with Boyd's finding.

"This is wrong," Daphne said. "This is an outrage. The police can't maim others and then go free. That is opening the door for other police.

"They can do the same thing because they won't be charged. Any parent at all wouldn't like anything horrible like this to happen."

"I knew that this would be the outcome of it," she added. "But I cannot understand how they can press no charges against the police who did this to my son.

"You shoot someone six times and it's not excessive force? One man ... one young man, six times ... and it's not excessive force?" Daphne wondered.

Stephen Jenuth, president of the Alberta Civil Liberties Association, said an overseer can't know if evidence is withheld.

It was in the interests of the city police department "not to find anything wrong by their officers," particularly when pressing charges against Steele, Jenuth said.

Police dog training video requested

Four months before Kirk Steele was shot lawyer Tom Engel, acting for the Criminal Trial Lawyers' Association, applied to have a police dog training video – EPS K-9 Unit: Life's Short, Bite Hard – made public.

Edmonton police refused the request and Engel sought recourse through Alberta's Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner.

On December 14th, 2007 it was reported that Edmonton police were deciding whether to appeal or comply with the privacy commissioner's order to release the video.

Police felt releasing the video would harm investigative techniques and decrease the effectiveness of the canine unit.

"Disclosure of the video would cause certain tactics and strategies to become publicly available," the department argued in its submission to the privacy commissioner.

"A member of the public who was lawfully detained by a canine team could utilize knowledge of such tactics and strategies to execute countermeasures and facilitate his or her escape from custody."

An adjudicator with the privacy commissioner's office concluded the video did not reveal any investigative techniques or procedures. According to Teresa Cunningham's report, there was nothing in the video that would help someone escape.

The first four minutes and 53 seconds of the video and final segment had been ordered released. Not ordered was the release of another portion because "the canine unit could become less effective in apprehending suspects as a result," according to Cunningham.

A police spokesman said the department was considering whether to call for a judicial review of the decision or release the video.

"I'm happy with the partial success," Engel said. "It's a curious thing in this day and age that they won't reveal these things because of giving away techniques and procedures. I don't buy that it will reveal anything to, as they say, the bad guys."

Engel said the association applied to see the video to determine whether canine-unit officers followed procedures in certain cases and he referred to Steele's case.

"We'll have to wait and see," Engel said of the posssible decision to appeal. "In the interest of transparency, I think police should allow the public to see this."

Lawsuit launched

On August 4th, 2008 it was reported that Kirk Steele had filed a statement of claim in provincial court against 70 defendants, suing them for $1 million.

Steele claimed he requires on-going medical care and has suffered a loss of income. In addition to the $1 million, Steele also sought unspecified aggravated and punitive damages.

The document suggested Steele was not posing a threat to police or the public when he was shot, and that officers yelled "shoot him" before bullets were fired and that racist remarks were made during the altercation.

"The plantiff used the knife in his right hand to protect himself from PSD Wizzard and, as he was attempting to protect himself from PSD Wizzard, fell to the ground," the court document states.

Steele claimed he then dropped the knife, got up and began running away from police. Shots were then fired as a result of anger and retaliation, according to the document.

Officers were also accused of fabricating or exaggerating information fed to the media to divert attention from excessive force used on Steele.

Steele further alleged there exists a "culture of silence" in the Edmonton Police Service and that there is inadequate training in the use of force and racial respect.

"The chief created ... an environment in which members of the Edmonton police service disregarded the law by ... tolerating, permitting or otherwise condoning unnecessary and excessive use of force," the lawsuit suggested.

"The conduct of the defendants constituted flagrant abuses of their authority, was high-handed and malicious."

The lawsuit also claimed Chief Mike Boyd knew or ought to have known of the tendency of the members involved to use excessive and unreasonable force, "yet failed to take any or adequate measures to protect members of the public from assaults by the EPS members."

Steele asserted the officers' conduct breached seven of his rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Included in the claim is that he suffered serious personal injuries which required ongoing medical care.

The allegations had yet to been proven in court, and if the matter was to go to trial it was expected to last more than five weeks.

Steele's preliminary hearing, for charges of possession of a weapon, obstructing a police officer and escape from lawful custody, was scheduled to begin January 12th, 2009.

Status of law enforcement animals

Currently there are no provisions in Canada's Criminal Code covering assault on law enforcement animals. The stabbing suspect could face a simple mischief charge or cruelty to animal charges (which carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail and a $2,000 fine).

An organisation called Brigadiers Law is hoping to have the Code amended to include protection for law enforcement service animals.

Dan Sandor, founder of Brigadier's Law, began lobbying the federal government after a police horse was run down in Toronto in February 2006.

A petition at the web site, to make assaulting police animals a separate criminal charge, has been signed by more than 50,000 people.

Sandor told the Edmonton Journal fleeing criminals are more likely to kill a police dog if they know no serious charges will be laid.

Many American states have laws that treat assaults on police animals like assaults on human officers, Sandor said.

"We need to give the police officers a charge that they can actually lay. They're handcuffed really, by the lack of laws."

Diane Shannon, spokeswoman for the Edmonton Humane Society, told the Journal there should be stiffer penalties for assaults against all animals, not just police dogs.

"Every animal has intrinsic value that needs to be respected more by society," she said.

“It was a terrible thing when Brigadier got put down,” said Corey Nault, a former rodeo cowboy who owns various Boston Pizzas in Alberta. “The incident with Wizzard just put us over the edge.”

Nault said he and his wife would be placing the petitions in their restaurants and were searching for other businesses to join the cause.

“Any animal that’s going to put its life on the line to protect people should be treated the same as any police officer,” he said.

Wizzard's stabbing was the first attack on an Edmonton service dog since Ceasar was shot dead on June 23rd, 1998.

Caesar and his handler, Cst. Randy Goss, responded to a call of suicidal man shooting off a shotgun in a north-end schoolyard. As Caesar lunged, the man turned and shot the dog in the face. Police opened fire, fatally shooting the man, to prevent further violence.

On July 4th, 1990 police dog Arry fell to his death after jumping over a 3-foot-high perimeter wall on top of the Tower Mortgage Building downtown while investigating a break-and-enter.

In 1989 service dog Titus died while pursuing an armed robber who held up a southside convenience store when both were struck by a car.

The first Edmonton service dog death occurred on December 5th, 1988 when Brix was struck by a police car after cornering wanted suspects in the west end.

For more about animals in law enforcement, visit the Edmonton Police Service Canine Unit and Canadian Search Dog Association web pages and sites.

deadmonton 2006 - other police matters - kirk steele shot by police after stabbing service dog

deadmonton 2006 - other police matters - kirk steele
shot by police after stabbing service dog