Crown declines to lay charges against Edmonton police officer who fatally shot unarmed man
CBC
An Edmonton police officer won't face charges for fatally shooting an unarmed man in 2021, despite Alberta's police watchdog finding reasonable grounds that the officer committed a crime.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) investigation concluded there are "problematic" pieces about the officer's account of what happened.
The family of Steven Nguyen identified him as the 33-year-old man who was killed in the north-central Rosslyn neighbourhood on the night of June 5, 2021. They've filed a lawsuit against the Edmonton Police Service, and the officer who shot Nguyen, who is identified in court documents as Const. Alexander Doduk.
The officer shot Nguyen four times "within seconds" of encountering him, according to the ASIRT report, released Wednesday.
"In this case while [the officer] subjectively believed that it was reasonable to shoot [Nguyen], objectively this belief is lacking," ASIRT executive director Michael Ewenson wrote in the report.
Doduk and his EPS partner were responding to a report from a resident who said he saw a man with a weapon that looked like a screwdriver or a knife.
The man who called 911 described the person he saw acting erratically, but not aggressively. A toxicology report later showed Nguyen had methamphetamine in his system at the time.
The agency referred the case to the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service to consider a culpable homicide charge, but after a review, the Crown won't pursue a criminal case.
In a statement to CBC News, an ACPS spokesperson said the Crown prosecutor who assessed the case determined it couldn't be proven that the officer's actions were unreasonable.
"In hindsight, the perception of the constable was mistaken, and the result was tragic, but the action taken could not be proven to be criminal."
Nguyen's family members said Wednesday the decision left them shocked.
"What happened to him was not right. It was not fair. … We want the public to be aware of what is happening," Nguyen's sister Melisa Solano said.
His brother, Chris Nguyen, said the family plans to keep seeking justice.
"Nobody deserves to die from the people that are supposed to protect and serve our community."
Click on the video player above on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. ET to watch the 2024 Vanier Cup.
This story is part of CBC Health's Second Opinion, a weekly analysis of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers on Saturday mornings. If you haven't subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here.
Some Canadian seniors say they're feeling abandoned by the Liberal government's latest inflation relief measure after learning they don't qualify for it.
WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it.
The weather has certainly been gloomy, damp and windy over the past 10 days in Nova Scotia and it's going to continue this weekend.
Premier Susan Holt says the federal tax holiday on some goods announced Thursday could cost New Brunswick $62 million in revenue.
Thousands in Quebec's Montérégie region will not get their flu and COVID-19 vaccine directly at their seniors' residence anymore.
A 17-year-old boy is dead after he was shot by an RCMP officer in Norway House Cree Nation on Friday.
Saskatchewan road crews and residents alike are getting ready for another icy blast of winter this weekend.
Student leaders at the University of Alberta are criticizing the school's plan to hike tuition — particularly for international students.
Environment Canada says a new fall storm will bring winds gusting up to 110 km/h to southwestern British Columbia on Friday, potentially causing more outages and travel disruption.