No charges for officer who ran over deer

A Lethbridge police officer who used his vehicle to euthanize a deer mortally wounded after being hit by a car will not face charges, a police watchdog said Wednesday.

On Jan. 5, a video shared online that later went viral showed the officer driving back and forth over the juvenile mule deer, who had significant injuries to its hindquarters after being struck by a car.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, which determined no charges would be laid, said there was no perfect option when it came to disposing of the mortally wounded deer.

“The reality is if you’re euthanizing an injured animal, there’s not really a good, or pretty way of doing it, other than by sedation,” ASIRT executive director Susan Hughson said.

The officer had numerous options available for euthanizing the deer, which included his standard-equipped service pistol, baton, and tactical knife, along with tactical weapons such as a Heckler & Koch MP5 gun, a Remington 870 12 Gauge breaching shotgun and an Arwen less-lethal launcher.

A now-infamous viral video was filmed by a witness, who had seen a collision between a vehicle and the deer prior.

The officer involved was concerned about a potential ricochet should he have used one of his available firearm, ASIRT spokesperson Greg Gudelot said.

“The officer decided that the risk of a possible ricochet was too great, given nearby homes, apartments and vehicles driving in the area,” Gudelot said.

“He considered attempting to drag the deer to another location where he could safely use a firearm but felt this carried its own challenges, when what he wanted was to euthanize the deer as quickly and humanely as possible.”