Alberta’s police watchdog is investigating the death of a man in Lethbridge following an interaction with police at the High Level Bridge. Officers responded to the Lethbridge Viaduct – a railway trestle which is not open to pedestrians – at 7:30 p.m. on July 13 after receiving multiple 911 calls about a man walking west along it. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) said Thursday that one of three responding officers entered the bridge and approached the man near the middle. “The officer spoke with the man and directed him to leave the bridge, but the man remained there,” ASIRT said. “The officer and the man continued to speak. “At about 8 p.m., following an interaction between the officer and the man, the man went over the side of the bridge.” Paramedics declared the man dead at the scene. ASIRT investigates cases involving serious injury or death, or serious or sensitive concerns about an officer’s actions. In this case, ASIRT says it will be examining the officer’s actions and the circumstances surrounding the man’s death.
