last link on the left › deadmonton

At about 9:19 a.m. August 8th, 2008 a man waving a knife outside Abbottsfield Mall was shot by Edmonton police.

Witnesses told media the man refused to drop the knife when ordered to do so by an officer. After a brief standoff, the officer shot the man twice.

Initially, an Edmonton police spokesman only provided few details of the "officer-involved shooting." The victim was quickly transported to the Royal Alexandra Hospital.

Those who saw the incident described the man as young and aboriginal, about six feet tall wearing dark clothing and a black ball cap. The knife was a foot long.

Yellow crime scene tape stretched the length of a block as investigators converged on the area, examining the scene and interviewing witnesses.

The matter was quickly turned over for investigation by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT), which looks into all police-involved shootings in addition to serious allegations of police corruption.

Edmonton police were to assist with the investigation. The officer involved, who was not identified, was quickly removed from the scene and his duty status was unknown at the time.

Edmonton police were handcuffed in what they could reveal due to constraints placed on them by the ASIRT investigation. But they admitted not knowing the name of the victim and appealed to possible relatives of the man to come forward.

Later on the day of the shooting, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team released a few details that simply confirmed what bystanders saw: that police shot twice and that both bullets hit the man.

"Indications are the officer issued a number of verbal commands for the male to drop the knife," ASIRT team commander Mark Neufeld said.

"Those commands were not complied with. It appears the officer tried to deploy pepper spray on the individual, which had limited effect at the time."

That a single officer, who did not have a Taser, was the first to respond to a call about an armed suspect seemed of little concern to the ASIRT investigator.

"From an investigative standpoint, it doesn't make much of a difference to us, but it may be something the police want to look at," Neufeld said.

The investigator said the officer who fired the shots had not yet been interviewed. He had spent the rest of the day with his family, according to Neufeld.

ASIRT planned to interview 15 to 20 witnesses and were hoping to review surveillance tape from security cameras on the McDonald's restaurant building.

"I think we have some people who saw perhaps the beginning, some people who saw the ending of it and some people who perhaps saw the whole thing so we're trying to figure out what exactly took place by bringing all those together," Neufeld said.

"At this point we don't believe so," the spokesman replied when asked by reporters if the man had approached any members of the public.

"We believe that the police coming and responding and having contact with the male was the first contact with that individual."

The investigator invited anybody who may seen the incident to call his office at 780-644-1483.

After ASIRT completes their investigation, the matter would be forwarded to the Calgary Crown prosecutor's office to determine if the officer should be charged.

As well, the Edmonton Police Service was continuing its own investigation to determine if the injured man should be charged.

It wasn't until the next day, August 9th, that police were able to identify the man.

Spokesman Andy Weiler of Alberta's Solicitor General office said the shooting victim was a 26-year-old aboriginal man from northeast Edmonton and that unless charged, the official release of his name would be unlikely.

In the July 2006 case of Kirk Steele (see below), charges were laid after the officer involved in his shooting was cleared of wrongdoing.

On August 12th, 2008, in a story carried by the Edmonton Sun, the police shooting victim was identified by family as Percy Davis – see below.

Later in the day, Davis was released from the Royal Alexandra intensive care unit and remained in hospital in stable condition.

"Fortunately, his condition has improved significantly," Mark Neufeld reported.

"He was not somebody who had on-going dealings with law enforcement," he said, again adding his office was not releasing the name of the 26-year-old or the name of the officer.

The Edmonton Journal reported the officer involved was a 38-year-old five-year member of the Edmonton Police Service, and that he remained on active duty working patrol in the northeast division.

Also on August 12th, a spokesman for the Solicitor General's office renewed the appeal for witnesses to come forward.

"Anyone who was in and around the McDonald's at Abbottsfield Mall Friday, between 9:30 - 9:45 a.m., if they could come forward that would be very helpful," said Michelle Davio.

"Specifically, we're looking for someone who was driving a late-model white car who was in the drive-through at 9:45 a.m. We believe they probably had a good view of what was going on."

The vehicle was identified through surveillance footage taken by cameras on the McDonald's restaurant building.

Neufeld added they were hoping the occupants of the white car, resembling a Pontiac Grand Am, would contact them at 780-644-1483.

In a follow-up article, the Edmonton Sun revealed that Percy Davis and the officer who shot him "had a history of problems together," and that Percy's father had once filed a complaint against the officer – see below.

On August 14th, 2008 the Edmonton Journal ran an article that challenged the impartiality of the ASIRT investigation due to possible conflicts of interest – see below.

On August 15th, 2008 CBC Edmonton revealed the name of the police officer involved in the shooting of Percy Davis – see below.

On August 17th, 2008 Percy Davis spoke with the Edmonton Sun and said he wanted to simply forget about the shooting – see below.

On August 18th, 2008 a letter from the president of the Edmonton Police Association, critising media coverage, was published in the Edmonton Journal. Peter Ratcliff later spoke with CBC Edmonton and maintained Percy Davis was the aggressor in his encounter with police – see below.

On September 12th, 2008 Edmonton police charged 26-year-old Percy Walter Davis with possession of a weapon dangerous to the public and assaulting a peace officer.

In making the announcement, police noted that due to the fact the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team was continuing to investigate the officer's role in the incident, no further comment could be provided by the Edmonton Police Service.

It was the second time in two days that police charged a person after being shot by officers.

On July 6th, 2007 a woman in an Inglewood area apartment was shot when she approached a female officer in a "threatening manner" with a knife.

An RCMP investigation of the shooting, reviewed by Alberta Justice's Special Prosecutions branch, recommendeded that no criminal charges be sworn against Edmonton Police Service members.

On September 1th, 2008 Edmonton police charged the woman, 60-year-old Janet Mary Lapointe, with aggravated assault, three counts of assault with a weapon, uttering threats to cause death or serious bodily harm, and possession of a weapon.

return to index

On August 12th, 2008 the Edmonton Sun published an interview with the family of the shooting victim, Percy Davis.

Percy's father, Glen Davis, told the paper his family became aware of the shooting only after watching television coverage. They were concerned when Percy had not returned home.

"I'm really mad," said Glen. "I'm ready to explode. Police are not telling me nothing."

From the TV footage they recognised Percy's clothes and raced to the hospital.

Once at the Royal Alex, police and hospital staff kept Glen from seeing his son for several hours until an investigator assigned to the case arrived.

"He was in critical condition ... he could have died," Glen said.

The elder Davis revealed Percy had lost the use of one lung, the result of a bullet entering through his neck area and exiting out his back.

A second bullet struck him in the lower abdomen. He also had lost use of his right arm due to a damaged artery. Doctors were waiting for Percy to sufficiently recover so he could undergo further surgery to repair nerve damage.

Glen said Percy was able to speak by the second day after the shooting but had not yet discussed the event.

Although the shooting occurred four blocks from the Davis home, Percy wasn't living there – having moved to Saskatchewan five months prior to live with his mother.

Ironically, Percy's mother Rose receives dialysis treatment for 14 hours three times a week – also at the Royal Alex.

"This is not doing any good to her," Glen told the Sun. Upset as well were Percy's brothers, aged 32, 23, and 17.

"Police shouldn't have shot him, they all said ... [police] should have been carrying a Taser."

Glen described his son as a quiet loner who admittedly had anger management issues in the past.

"He's a pretty friendly guy," Glen said. "He's shy. He's kind of a loner – he's got hardly any friends."

Glen confirmed that Percy didn't have a criminal record.

He said his son was once questioned by police in September 2007 over an incident involving an underage girl.

No charges were laid but, according to Glen, Percy's health and treaty cards were taken away by police and never returned. That has caused Glen to worry he may be stuck with a bill for medical services.

Why Percy was carrying a knife and where he got it from remains a mystery. Glen said he checked his house for missing knives but there weren't any.

Glen is an evangelical preacher at the House of Refuge downtown at 10339 95 Street. It was there CTV Edmonton caught up with the man who accused police of using excessive force.

"They didn't even have a Taser with them. How come they weren't carrying the Taser? No Taser ... what's the excuse there?" Glen demanded.

"So they resorted to the hand gun ... trigger happy. I think they're trigger happy to shoot that gun."

Previous history

In a follow-up article, the Sun revealed that Percy Davis and the officer who shot him "had a history of problems together," and that Percy's father had once filed a complaint against the officer.

"I can say that we are looking into that complaint and the disposition of it," ASIRT investigator Mark Neufeld said.

The complaint was made to the Edmonton police professional standards branch by Glen Davis on behalf of his son. The officer who shot Percy had been trying to build a criminal case against Percy, according to Glen.

"I didn't like him from the beginning, this officer that shot my son," he said, claiming the September 2007 investigation amounted to harassment.

"There's a motive for this because it's the same cop."

Not able to confirm the details of the complaint, Neufeld did say the case was resolved through an agreement between the father and police. Glen said he agreed to drop the case on condition that the officer leave Percy alone.

Edmonton police could not confirm Glen's allegations that Percy's treaty and health care cards were confiscated and never returned.

A police spokesman said that while he had no information concerning the claim, Percy could still bring the issue forward. "I would say if he does believe this occurred, I think he should file a complaint," he said.

More was learned about why Percy was carrying the knife – that he had the weapon to safeguard against neighbourhood bullies.

"It was just for his protection," Glen told the Sun. "He said he had the knife but he wasn't going to hurt anyone with it.

"He figured when he raised his hands in the air and was walking backwards, that was a form of surrender," Glen said. "I guess he was wrong on that."

The Edmonton Journal focussed on the Taser issue.

ASIRT investigator Neufeld said training issues kept the officer involved in the shooting from carrying the device.

"He had previous Taser training. However, when EPS went to a different type of Taser, we were told he did not have the updated training on the new Taser," Neufeld said.

Glen reflected on his son's injuries and his family's possible recourse.

"That's life-changing for him forever now," he said. "I don't think what they did was justified. I'm upset, I'm still boiling."

Percy's three brothers are pressuring their father to sue the police department, but Glen said he could not afford a lawyer.

He claimed his niece found a clip of the incident on the internet that recorded Percy saying "Leave me alone" numerous times before he was shot.

"And the cop still shot him," Glen said. "Why did they shoot him twice? What was the intent?"

When Percy's father Glen Davis and his cousin Ron Whitsone were approached by Global Edmonton as they were visiting at the Royal Alex the next day, emotions continued to run high.

"It's devastating. I'm still in shock," Glen said. "I feel like I'm ready to explode ... I'm a time bomb ready to go off."

Percy's father recalled seeing the television footage that first brought him to the hospital.

"Our son was laying on the stretcher – what's going on?"

Glen questioned police procedure.

"I'm frustrated with what happened and this officer wasn't even carrying a Taser and he wasn't trained to use a Taser – that's apparently why he wasn't carrying a Taser.

"And why didn't he call up for a back-up unit – a Taser unit? Why did he take it into to his own hands to shoot my son? And why did he shoot him twice?"

Percy's father also recounted the history between his son and the officer who shot him.

"He said 'the next time I see you I'm going to rub your face all over the ground.' Obviously he didn't like my son," Glen said.

"We're all devasted and we can't even afford a lawyer because we're on fixed income ... and I'm not working."

Whitstone offered a slightly broader view.

"I do know that the police officers do have to do their job and it is important that they are cared for as well," he told Global Edmonton.

"You don't want them getting hurt, they have families to go home to – people that care for them just as well," Whitstone said sympathetically.

On August 17th Percy Davis spoke with the Edmonton Sun and said he wanted to simply forget about the shooting.

The man who was shot twice by police said he wasn't holding any grudges and just wanted to get out of the hospital and back to work.

"There's no reason for me to feel angry at anyone," Percy told the Sun. "There's no need for revenge."

Offering the paper a brief explanation of what led to the shooting, Percy said that he had found a knife and was heading home.

"It's that guy's job to look out for suspicious activities," Davis said of the officer who shot him. "It could have been any other person's son who got shot out there. Let's try to forget about it."

While his son seemed eager to get the ordeal behind him, his father still had strong emotions

"Why couldn't he call a backup unit that could have Tasered him?" Glen asked. "There could have been some other alternative. He shouldn't have resorted to the gun right away."

Glen again offered that his son did not drop the knife because he recognised the officer as one he had previous dealings with.

"I think he was kind of scared of the officer who was harassing him because maybe if he surrendered, the officer might have beat him," Glen said. "That's why he was hesitant to surrender, but he did want to."

"As far as I know, [that officer] was the only one on call and he took the matters into his own hands," Glen said. "From what I've gathered, [Percy] wasn't threatening nobody and was backing up with his hands on his head."

return to narrative | return to index

On August 15th, 2008 CBC Edmonton revealed the name of the police officer involved in the shooting of Percy Davis.

Const. Myles Stromner, 38 years old and a 5-year member of the police service, was identified by lawyer Tom Engel.

CBC reported that Engel was now acting for the Davis family. He is also the chairman of the policing committee for the Criminal Trial Lawyers Association.

Engel said Const. Stromner had at least two run-ins with Percy, including one where the officer handcuffed Davis and interrogated him in a police car. On another occasion, Engel said Stromner accused the man of stealing a car.

Percy clearly had reason to fear the officer when he ordered him to drop the knife, Engel said.

"It may also indicate that Percy Davis would be justified in refusing to comply with demands from Stromner because he was afraid of what was going to happen once Stromner got hold of him."

Engel asked for a thorough and objective investigation. A police spokesman would not comment on Engel's allegations but said Police Chief Mike Boyd would look into them.

The naming of the officer didn't sit well with his family.

On August 17th, 2008 the Edmonton Journal reported that the officer's mother feared retaliation after his name "was made public on the Internet."

"This is very upsetting. It sure does put his family in jeopardy," she said. "We're worried there could be a retaliation."

The officer's mother urged the public to not jump to conclusions, and to wait until the investigation was completed before passing judgement.

"There are so many stories right now going around. Some are accurate. Some aren't. We don't even have all the facts," she said.

According to his mother, the officer involved "is terribly upset" and had taken vacation leave.

Mark Neufeld, the lead ASIRT investigator, had previously said both the officer and shooting victim's names were not meant to be released publicly until charges were laid.

The next day, the Journal published a letter to the editor from Peter Ratcliff, president of the Edmonton Police Association.

Ratcliff took issue with the paper's coverage which he said offered "just one version."

Re: "Police gun down youth carrying knife: Lone officer at scene too aggressive, witness says," The Journal, Aug. 9

After reading The Journal's account of the unfortunate incident of Friday, Aug. 8, I am thankful that the bulk of Journal readers who have taken the time to read the "story" and respond on their blog about the EPS officer involved recognize the reporting as biased, unfair and subjective.

I was in the Edmonton Police Service's North Division station within minutes of the shooting and counted no less than 14 civilian witnesses who came to the station of their own volition to provide their perspective on that incident.

Although I did not take part in any of the interviews, it was apparent from the outset -- merely from overhearing some of the comments from these witnesses -- that their recollection of those events was nothing remotely close to that of the one distraught, emotional witness The Journal's reporters managed to winnow out of the crowd.

But then, if the reporters had relied on these other witnesses, where would the controversy be? Would the headline have more properly read, "Police officer stops armed man from bloody rampage"?

Before rushing to judgment on this officer's actions and basing a front-page story and the accompanying inflammatory headline on the unsubstantiated comments of an obviously biased "witness," wouldn't it have been more responsible and certainly more appropriate to have included the comments from other witnesses and based the story on that?

Of course not, because, unlike the police officer whom they have vilified and convicted of "gunning down a youth" who one could apparently "still see the baby in" -- from 30 metres away -- and who was only swearing while waving his butcher knife, they would have had to have acted upon all of the evidence presented them, not selected and unsupported hyperbole.

I wonder if the reporters ask themselves how the member, who was forced -- and trained -- to take the action he did (and I'm sure the same witnesses I saw would personally thank for his decisive action), feels after reading the sort of nonsense that passes as journalism these days?

Members of the public form their opinions from what they see and hear in the media. The media therefore have a significant responsibility to the public to ensure that they are provided with the facts on which they base those opinions in an unbiased, fair and objective manner.

The recent reporting in The Journal not only failed in this regard, but also has had an undeserved, unfair and significantly negative impact on the officer involved and others.

I sincerely hope that any further reporting of this incident is handled in a more reasonable, objective fashion and that more facts and less supposition are included in those reports.

Peter Ratcliff, president,

Edmonton Police Association

Ratcliff, seen above in a file photo, was interviewed by CBC Edmonton on August 18th and maintained that Percy Davis was the aggressor.

"He approached the officer in his vehicle armed with a butcher knife," Ratcliff said in CBC's brief report.

return to narrative | return to index

Timeline

With details of the Abbottsfield matter under official investigation, what sparked the incident that led the officer to draw his weapon won't be revealed until ASIRT releases its findings.

A probable timeline of events has been constructed from various media reports. From eyewitness accounts, there appeared to be a drawn out confrontation that started at one end of the mall parking lot and ended at the other.

One report surfaced that police were looking into an armed robbery, and the suspect description matched that of the man later shot.

There was also speculation that the shooting victim had earlier been banned from entering Abbottsfield Mall, something a shopping centre security guard couldn't confirm.

What appears certain was that police were called after a few women felt threatened by a man carrying a butcher knife near some dumpsters at the recycling centre at the north end of the mall parking lot.

It was later learned the initial call to police came from a Zellers employee who had heard reports of a man with a butcher knife in his hand.

Sheila Bernard, who was sitting outside her condo unit across from the mall, was the first to see a single police officer confront a man on a bike who was approaching the housing complex holding a knife in his left hand.

"The cop had his gun pointed at him and he was telling him to 'Stop and drop the knife,' " Bernard said.

Venus Parkman's account then takes up the story.

"He done charged at the officer in the car to the side of the door and then he went back to his bike. The officer got out of his car with his gun drawn," Parkman said.

"Then he followed the suspect down here," she said, pointing to the McDonald's about a block away. "And that's when they went out of sight."

Several witnesses watched the pair walk nearly a full block locked in a standoff position for what one person said seemed like ten minutes.

By the time other witnesses saw them near the McDonald's at the south end of the lot, it was after the officer had emptied a can of pepper spray at the man.

The pair stopped on a driveway that leads from Abbottsfield Road into the mall parking lot.

Marlene Flohr said the man was holding the butcher knife above his head and slowly walking backwards to the lot.

"He looked like some one just tripping or something I don't know. He was just a kid. You could still see the baby in him," she said.

Jensen Hans said the man started yelling "leave me alone" and swearing.

"I just couldn't believe it," Hans remarked. "I think they did the right thing, because if someone would have walked behind the guy, he could have grabbed them. It would have been a lot worse."

Both Hans and Flohr agreed the officer was yelling at the man to lay down the weapon.

"The officer kept saying, 'Put the knife down,' and the kid was just backing, backing and just kept backing up with the knife in the air," Mohr said.

"The cop just had the gun out and said, 'Put the knife down,' but it was pointed at the kid and then all of a sudden, boom, boom."

Flohr said the man seemed to stumble before he was shot by the officer, who was about nine metres away.

"The officers were telling him 'Drop the knife, get down on the ground, drop the knife,' " Hans said.

"The last time was one last time and very firm and assertive. The guy didn't respond, no response. So the officer shot him twice. The guy sort of stayed up for 20, 25 seconds, dropped the knife and fell to the ground," he said.

"The knife fell out of his right hand and he fell to his knees and I saw the officer come into the guy and kick the knife away," Hans added.

"The kid, he was still staggering, walking back down and he was holding himself – standing," Flohr said.

"Then all of a sudden he just went down. I'm like, is that for real or is that Taser?"

Flohr insisted the man never charged at the officer.

return to index

Deadly force – was it justified?

The issue of whether police should have used deadly force was raised by some who saw the shooting. It should be pointed out the most vocal critics only witnessed the final moments of the event.

"Like, boom he shot him, he should have, should have, should have handled that," Flohr said, still visibly upset as she spoke with media.

"That cop should have Tasered him, not used the gun or said something more to say smarten up kid. It was too aggressive, too fast to just blow off at the trigger like that.

"I know our generation is losing it out there, but I think that was a little aggressive. It looked like he wanted to calm himself, too, but the cop just kept yelling."

To Mike Abdellah, the man didn't threaten the officer nor anyone around him.

"He was walking backwards with a knife in his hand the whole time, not saying nothing. He looked like he was drunk," Abdellah said.

"I figured it was a Taser gun and if the kid threatens him – yah, shoot him – give him a taste about reality. Then he actually shot him ...

"I've seen lots but never seen an unprovoked thing like this," Abdellah said.

Ruby Genaille also offered her opinion.

"I said 'He's going to shoot him, he's going to shoot him' ... just the way the cop was ... the cop was very aggressive – the child wasn't," Genaille said.

"I wanted to run to him because it's in you to want to take care of him because he's just a baby," she said of the 26-year-old man.

Jensen Hans said it appeared the officer was trying to stop the man from going into the nearby Terrace Heights townhouse complex.

"He did the right thing. The guy shouldn't have been walking around with a knife in the first place," Hans said.

In addition to having a popular McDonald's on the lot, the mall is also near a busy soccer field.

return to index

Can ASIRT be effective?

Just as the investigation into the police shooting of Percy Davis was beginning, the newly-formed and provincially-funded body was already coming under fire from law enforcement critics.

Set up in the fall of 2007, the $3.8-million Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) was created as an independent watchdog with a mandate is "to investigate incidents or complaints involving serious injury or death of any person, and matters of a serious or sensitive nature, that may have resulted from the actions of a police officer."

Clifton Purvis - Edmonton Sun photograph

ASIRT is led by a civilian director, Clifton G. Purvis, a Crown prosecutor who last worked for Project KARE.

Purvis was instrumental in bringing the task force's case against Thomas George Svekla. The Davis shooting case was the first investigation for the team.

Reporting to Purvis are a civilian assistant director, two civilian criminal analysts, four civilian investigators and ten police officers (from the Calgary Police Service, Edmonton Police Service, and the RCMP).

ASIRT has jurisdiction over all police officers in the Province of Alberta. Half the team is based in Edmonton and half in Calgary.

When the formation of ASIRT was announced in September 2007, Solicitor General Fred Lindsay said the team would be "transparent." However, examination of the individuals who now actually make up the team invited criticism from police watchdogs.

Mark Neufeld, frequently seen speaking on the Davis matter, was seconded from the Edmonton Police Service and is the the lead investigating supervisor looking into the Davis shooting officer's actions. He was described as a senior Edmonton police officer on a 2-year contract to ASIRT.

Neufeld has not ruled out returning to Edmonton police when his contract ends. "That remains to be seen," he said replying to an Edmonton Journal reporter.

"You shouldn't assign [officers] to investigate their own police service," Tom Engel, chairman of the policing committee for the Criminal Trial Lawyers Association, told the Journal. Using Edmonton officers to investigate their own works against ASIRT's goal to be viewed as objective, he said.

"It's nothing more than window dressing. Such an officer may have worked with the officer in question since they're a member of the same organisation," he said.

Glen Davis, Percy's father, said he was furious and questioned the integrity of the investigation.

"They better get down to the truth," he said.

A spokesman for the Solicitor General's office defended ASIRT's make-up and said there should be no concerns about it's ability to be objective.

Andy Weiler pointed out that every file is reviewed by a civilian director – Crown prosecutor Purvis.

When ASIRT was launched, Purvis said the team would need the best in investigative talent.

"You will require the most experienced investigators for this kind of work and the reality is they are police officers," Purvis said.

The 17-year veteran of the Crown's office said his own impartiality is connected to his membership in the Alberta Law Society.

"I've developed my career knowing what my place in the justice system is. That's what makes me independent."

The man at the centre of the investigation said the examination of police misconduct should be more effective under ASIRT because fewer officers are pulled off regular assignments. He admitted he would prefer to see future investigations led by officers from outside agencies.

"Now, during the summertime and because of logistics, vacation and the fact that we're not 100 per cent staffed yet, we're just doing what we can," Mark Neufeld said.

return to narrative | return to index

Other police shootings

Edmonton police last fired on a person when a man in a pickup truck charged toward an officer during a routine traffic stop on Anthony Henday Drive on December 5th, 2007. RCMP are investigating the matter as the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team was not yet up and running.

On July 6th, 2007 a woman in an Inglewood area apartment was shot when she approached a female officer in a "threatening manner" with a knife.

An RCMP investigation of the shooting, reviewed by Alberta Justice's Special Prosecutions branch, recommended that no criminal charges be sworn against Edmonton Police Service members.

Edmonton police then charged the woman, 60-year-old Janet Mary Lapointe, with aggravated assault, three counts of assault with a weapon, uttering threats to cause death or serious bodily harm, and possession of a weapon.

On July 27th, 2006 Kirk Steele was shot six times by Const. Bruce Edwards after Steele stabbed Police Service Dog Wizzard while being chased by officers.

An Edmonton Police Service investigation cleared Edwards in the matter and Steele was charged with possession of a weapon, obstructing a police officer and escape from lawful custody.

Steele recently launched a million-dollar lawsuit claiming police went over the line when they shot him.

On June 30th, 2006 Darren James Cardinal was shot dead by Const. Daniel Furman. Police said Cardinal surprised Furman and shot the officer three times. According to Cardinal's father, a medical examiner told him Darren had been shot up to 13 times.

The RCMP review of Cardinal's shooting, looked over by the Calgary Crown prosecutor's office, found no criminal involvement on the part of the police.

Two years after the shooting, Furman and two other officers involved were honoured with the Canadian Police Association National Award of Excellence for "heroic deeds that go beyond the call of duty."

On May 12th, 2005 police shot Gregory Shawn Severight and Sarah Catherine Brooks after a 20-minute pursuit through Edmonton's west end. The driver of a stolen vehicle tried to run down an officer.

On March 11th, 2005 Daniel Lippa was shot by two officers outside an apartment building near 148th Avenue and 26th Street.

Lippa came around the corner of the building with a knife in his hand. He refused police orders to drop the weapon and then came at them with the knife. Two officers fired at least seven times at Lippa and hit him twice.

In March 2008 Edmonton police ruled the shooting as justified.

On June 10th, 2004 a 15-year-old boy was shot in the arm in south Edmonton after threatening to kill an officer. He was carrying a gun and police believed he was high on drugs.

On September 18th, 2003 police shot a man in the hand after he rammed a cruiser with a stolen van. This ended a chase through the city's west end.

On May 16th, 2001 John Peter Pavic was shot during a struggle with Const. Ken Brander.

Police tactical officers entered Pavic's apartment at 11453 40 Avenue after Pavic had gotten in a fight with a neighbour and threatened to kill him.

Brander thought Pavic was under control after a stun gun was fired when Pavic came at him with a knife in each hand. Brander fired six shots at Pavic and was later cleared.

On January 5th, 2000 Long Duy Hoang aka Crazy Jimmy was fatally shot by police after shooting at an officer during a high-risk takedown.

The Asian gang member shot twice at tactical team cops before going down in a hail of bullets when he refused to surrender after a high-speed chase. An inquiry cleared the police shooting.

In 1990 police shot Erwin Harrison Adams who had been threatening family members and police with two knives. He died in hospital 10 months later.

Also in 1990 Randy Long was shot in the chest when Long lunged at police with a knife. He was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.

In 1986 Phil Forest struggled with an officer, stabbing him several times with a carving knife. The officer then shot Forest, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Again in 1986 police shot Dan Rogers behind his apartment building during a police stakeout. Rogers had been under investigation for a series of break-ins in the city.

In 1984 a police task-force member opened fire on James William Townshend who had raced towards the officer carrying a loaded sawed-off shotgun. Townshend died from a single shotgun blast to the chest.

In 1981 police investigated a routine call from a woman arguing with her son over a television set. The situation escalated and police shot and killed Kenneth Shank.

In 1979 Grant Bird died in a shootout with police at Shokal Gunsmith Ltd. A passerby, Carlo Mauro, was also killed in the gunfire.

In 1975 Donald Rose was fatally shot after refusing to surrender a machine gun outside his home following a liquor-store holdup.

In 1974 Dan Smith was shot by police after a three-hour siege at The House of Coin. Police repeatedly fired tear gas containers into the building before Smith opened a side door and was fatally wounded.

return to index

Additional material

During the course of story coverage, many images are recorded but not all are published. Some are redundant, some are of less than optimal quality and some do not fit editorial context.

For the interest of readers, these "outtakes" can be viewed here. Note: not all images have been reduced in file size – page may be slow in loading.

deadmonton 2008 - other police matters - the Percy Davis police shooting