deadmonton 2006 - other police matters
man shot by police after stabbing service dog
A 33-year-old man, later identified as Kirk Steele, remains in hospital after being shot by police after stabbing a service dog.
On August 8th, 2006 Steele told his side of this story in an exclusive interview with CTV Edmonton.
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.
Police service dog Wizzard, a German shepherd, was then released.
Wizzard 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.
An exhibit marker and broken knife at the scene.
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 is seven years old 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.
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 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 spokeswoman 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 is resting comfortably at home.
At a press conference held August 1st, 2006, Tom Engel, a lawyer 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 said.
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 turns down the request.
A spokesman for the Solicitor General’s Department said the city police department is already following proper protocol in calling in the RCMP to conduct an investigation. Andy Weiler said that once the investigation is complete, the report will 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.
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.
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"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, said Daphne.
"I'm still angry inside because what they did was wrong," she said. "He's a human being. All he broke was parole. He didn't kill anybody.
Daphne says she wants justice but doesn't want Cst. Edwards removed 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," she 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 have been 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 remains weak and is being fed vanilla ice cream and chicken broth, said Daphne.
"Oh my goodness. If it weren't for God he wouldn't be here," said Daphne yesterday from hospital, where family had gathered at Kirk's bedside. "Our prayers were answered."
According to his mother he's promised to change his ways.
"He tells the family he's sorry for everything. He's planning to change."
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 claims 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 have 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, 2006 both the Edmonton Sun and Journal 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 claims 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 denies he threatened them with a knife when they opened the bathroom door.
Steele claims he stabbed Wizzard, the police dog, in self-defence. He also said police kicked him in the ribs and leg while he lay bleeding on the ground.
Engel 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" and declined to comment on specific allegations.
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.
Wizzard's stabbing is the first attack on an Edmonton service dog since Caesar was shot dead in June 1998 responding to a suicidal man shooting off a shotgun in a north-end schoolyard.
In July 1990 police dog Arry fell to his death after jumping over a 3-foot-high perimeter wall on a downtown rooftop while investigating a break-and-enter.
In 1989 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 in December 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 sites.