At approximately 11:45 a.m., on Sept. 10, 2021, Wetaskiwin RCMP responded to a complaint of a male carrying a firearm and walking along a major roadway near Wetaskiwin.
The male was walking southbound on Highway 2A, approximately 1.5 km south of Wetaskiwin when RCMP with the assistance of RCMP Police Dog Services located him. The suspect was not following police verbal commands to drop the firearm and the Wetaskiwin RCMP state for public and police safety, a police vehicle was used to disarm him.
The 35-year-old male suspect was provided with medical assistance by on-scene officers before being transported to a local area hospital via ground ambulance with non-life threatening injuries.
No officers were injured as a result of this incident.
The Wetaskiwin RCMP are continuing to investigate this incident with the assistance of an RCMP Collision Reconstructionist.
Southbound traffic on Highway 2A approximately 1.5 km from Wetaskiwin was being diverted with diversions expected to last several hours.
The RCMP stat that they, “[believe] in processes that seek the facts and it’s important that processes taken to assess the actions of all those involved, including the police, are fair, transparent, and defendable.”
This incident was reported to the Director of Law Enforcement of Alberta and was deemed to be in-scope and ASIRT will not be conducting an investigation. However, this incident is being reviewed by an RCMP internal review process.
There are no further details available at this time.