The RCMP logo is seen outside the force's 'E' division headquarters in Surrey, B.C., on March 16, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
DDCALGARY - Alberta's police watchdog says there will be no charges after the death of an American man following a dangerous high-speed pursuit at the Canada-U.S. border crossing at Coutts, Alta., last year.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team was asked to investigate an RCMP shooting from Feb. 4, 2025, that happened after an individual failed to stop for a secondary inspection at the Canadian border and took off at a high speed instead.
The report says the man, who was wanted in the United States for theft of a firearm and assaulting a peace officer, stopped briefly and was ordered to leave his vehicle but instead fled the scene, reaching speeds of up to 140 kilometres an hour.
A short time later, a pursuit began involving several police vehicles with speeds between 120 and 150 kilometres an hour as the suspect drove along various highways and into the town of Raymond. He later headed back to the Coutts border crossing and found it was blocked.
As a result, he turned around and began driving the wrong way on the highway, narrowly missing two semi-trucks and an oncoming snowplow.
A tire deflation advice eventually blew out one of his tires and he came to a stop in the ditch.
Police ordered him to get on the ground but he continued running, holding a pistol to his head on his way to a number of residences.
One of the officers fired a shotgun at him but missed. When a police service dog finally reached him, it came to an end.
"As soon as the (dog) engaged the (suspect) on his left forearm, (he) shot himself in the head," writes Matthew Block, the watchdog's acting executive director.
The suspect鈥檚 gun was a .45-calibre Smith and Wesson semi-automatic handgun reported stolen in the United States.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner concluded that the immediate cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head and the manner of death was classified as a suicide.
Toxicology results showed he had ingested alcohol, cocaine and other drugs before he died.
The report also referenced that his medical history included progressive paranoid-schizophrenia-like behaviour, delusions of persecution and multiple mental health hospital admissions.
The shot fired by the RCMP officer was not a factor in his death.
"The fact that officers had only observed the (suspect) pointing the gun at his own head, and not directly at police, does not mollify the officer鈥檚 perceived risk of grievous bodily harm or death, especially in light of the (suspect鈥檚) demonstrated erratic behaviour," said Block.
"There is no requirement in law that an officer wait to see if the person will shoot before acting.鈥
This report by 国产诱惑福利 was first published April 15, 2026.
国产诱惑福利
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