Machete-wielding suspect who died in custody resisted arrest: ASIRT

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team said a machete was recovered at the scene of a confrontation with police and an agitated man on Aug. 6, 2023. (Supplied)

Alberta's police watchdog says the Medicine Hat police officers who were involved in an in-custody death in August 2023 acted reasonably and with appropriate force in dealing with a suspect armed with a machete.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) released its investigation report into the death of a man following a confrontation with members of the Medicine Hat Police Service on Aug. 6, 2023.

The incident began when police were called to an apartment building about an agitated person, armed with a machete, who was "yelling at an imaginary person."

Responding officers first used pepper balls and then ARWEN rounds to incapacitate the suspect who began to approach the officers.

The suspect retreated after being struck with the plastic rounds in the legs, so police deployed CS gas to force him to give up.

The suspect refused to surrender to police, so officers used more CS gas, forcing him out of his unit and into the third-floor balcony hallway.

"Two tactical officers were deployed in a Medicine Hat Fire ladder truck, who deployed a conducted energy weapon, temporarily incapacitating (the suspect.) Tactical members moved up and used a 'pin and hold' technique with a shield," ASIRT said.

"(The suspect) was disarmed after more ARWEN deployments to the legs and strikes to his hand."

Police managed to take the man into custody.

He was taken to hospital in stable condition and EMS noted "soft tissue injuries of his extremities."

However, once at the hospital, the suspect's condition deteriorated and he went into cardiac arrest and later died.

"An autopsy of AP found that the immediate cause of death was 'ST-elevation myocardial infarction in the setting of methamphetamine intoxication and police restraint.'"

ASIRT in its investigation spoke with a number of witnesses that said they knew the suspect took methamphetamine and he needed to be restrained so he could be taken care of.

Witness officers at the scene said the suspect was holding a machete and a "metal hacksaw-type weapon" and was ordered by officers to drop the items.

They also said the suspect was making threats and telling them to "shoot him."

"(The suspect) attempted to stab the arresting officers while pinned underneath the shield. (He) was later disarmed and handcuffed," the ASIRT report said.

Drone footage provided 'an excellent view'

ASIRT said a video drone was used by the Medicine Hat Police Service during the call and it showed tactical officers negotiating with the suspect, seen holding a machete and a bent metal bar.

It also recorded the takedown by police, following the deployments of all the less-lethal ordinance.

"The drone captured tactical members delivering strikes and finally wrestling the machete away from (the suspect) and thereafter taking him into custody."

At the conclusion of its report, ASIRT said the responding officers were "lawfully placed" and "acting in the execution of their duties" during the incident.

"(The suspect) was acting erratically while in possession of a machete. (He) refused to surrender notwithstanding opportunity to do so. MHPS officers used non lethal weapons systems to assist in eventually gaining control of (the suspect.)

"These uses of force were reasonably necessary and proportionate to the resistive actions of the suspect."

As for the suspect's cause of death, ASIRT said the force used to restrain him "may have contributed," but there are no reasonable grounds to believe the officers' conduct was criminal.