No charges recommended in EPS arrest causing head injury: police watchdog

Edmonton police badge seen in Edmonton, Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Alberta’s police watchdog says no offence is believed to have been committed after completing its investigation into a 2025 arrest involving an Edmonton officer that led to a head injury and potential brain bleed.

A report done by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) said a man approached the driver’s side of a marked Edmonton Police Service (EPS) cruiser on Oct. 14, 2025 at about 1:18 a.m. where police had a separate individual in custody.

The man appeared to be intoxicated, said the report, and didn’t comply with repeated directions to leave the area. An officer stepped out of the cruiser and told the man he was under arrest for public intoxication.

The officer’s report noted that the man exhibited “signs of gross intoxication,” including glassy eyes, drooling and incoherent speech.

During the arrest, the man resisted and was taken forcefully to the ground by the officer. The man’s head struck the ground and he lost consciousness.

EMS responded and transported the man to the University of Alberta Hospital where a medical assessment determined he had sustained a brain bleed, facial abrasion, and a laceration to his nose and lip. He was discharged from hospital five days later after declining a recommended craniotomy to remove a hematoma.

Medical records obtained by ASIRT for the purpose of the investigation indicate that the man had sustained a severe traumatic brain injury in November 2024 after getting hit by a car while walking.

ASIRT ultimately concluded that the man was arrested lawfully for public intoxication and that the use of force was “proportionate, necessary and reasonable.”

“As a result, there are no reasonable grounds to believe that an offence was committed,” said the report.