Alberta Mounties cleared in fatal shooting of man who drew weapons, made bomb threat

An RCMP epaulette is seen in Edmonton, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Alberta’s police watchdog says no charges will be laid against two RCMP officers in the fatal shooting of a man who allegedly made bomb threats.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, or ASIRT, says Mounties were called in December 2024 to a home in Tofield, southeast of Edmonton, to arrest a man.

The agency says the man repeatedly claimed to have strapped to his body explosives that he told police he would detonate if officers entered the home.

After an almost four-hour standoff, a chemical irritant was deployed and the man exited the home, armed with what appeared to be a handgun and a sword.

ASIRT says he was shot after ignoring commands to drop his weapons and was later found to be wearing a back brace designed to simulate an explosive vest.

Acting executive director Matthew Block says the man’s bomb threats were “inherently threatening” and ruled that police were reasonable in their actions.

“The potential harm posed by the (man) was substantial: he could have fired the apparent handgun, used the sword to stab or slash others, or detonated explosives he claimed to be wearing,” Block said in a report released Wednesday.

“Their response was proportionate to the risk the (man) posed.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 22, 2026.

Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press