Police acted reasonably in shooting death of Alberta murder suspect

Home on Stoney Nakoda First Nation where RCMP attempted to execute an arrest warrant on January 7, 2017.

The Mountie who fatally shot a man on an Alberta First Nation two years ago did nothing wrong, a police watchdog says.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, tasked with investigating the death of 27-year-old Ralph Stephens following an encounter with members of the RCMP on January 7, 2017, announced there is no reason to believe the police officer committed a criminal offence.

RCMP were originally called to the First Nation to execute several search warrants on a number of homes, trying to locate three men wanted in the murder of a fourth.

One of the search warrants was executed on the home of the family of Ralph Stephens and his 29-year-old brother John.

Both men were wanted in connection with the murder of Lorenzo Bearspaw a day earlier and the younger brother was also believed to be in possession of a firearm.

Officers met the father of the two men at the door and proceeded inside, arresting John without incident on the first floor.

RCMP located a number of other individuals in the home, including in the basement.

ASIRT says in its report the attending officers questioned the residents if there were any other people downstairs and were told there weren't.

As officers descended into the basement to clear the area, they announced their presence only to hear a man's voice shout at them to leave.

"A single shot was then fired from the opposite side of the wall, penetrating through drywall and narrowly missing the officers," the report reads.

The RCMP then retreated from the home and surrounded the building.

One officer, while setting up in a position at the west side of the home, heard another gunshot and the sound of breaking glass.

ASIRT says a woman climbed out of a basement window and, while the officer commanded her to walk towards him, 27-year-old Ralph Stephens also emerged from the window.

The report says Stephens was carrying a shotgun, pointed in the direction of the officer and the woman.

The officer immediately opened fire, hitting the suspect once in the torso, causing him to collapse.

Stephens was taken to hospital in Calgary where he later died.

The ASIRT report states his cause of death was due to the injury to his main abdominal artery.

ASIRT also says his weapon, a 12-gauge tactical shotgun, was recovered at the scene. It contained three unfired shells and the pump action was in the firing position.

The agency says the evidence is clear that the suspect posed a serious risk to the officer and the woman in the line of fire and, as such, no charges will be laid.