Man alone before fall from Edmonton balcony, investigators conclude
Watchdog looking into police role
Alberta's police watchdog says no one was with a man who fell from a balcony during a check by Edmonton police in February.
In an update to their investigation Monday morning, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) said that Edmonton police received a call at about 7:39 a.m. on Feb. 28 from a resident in a 16-storey residential tower in west Edmonton.
Police were told that a 39-yearold man was distressed, “under the influence of a controlled substance,” and acting erratically while throwing items off a balcony onto the ground below.
He also sometimes sat on the railing of the balcony, ASIRT said in a news release.
At about 8:14 a.m., officers began speaking with the man to de-escalate the situation.
While the man moved between the inside of the suite and the balcony, officers on the ground prevented pedestrians from walking below the balcony where they might be struck by falling objects.
As officers continued to speak with the man, he went out onto the balcony and blocked the door, ASIRT said. Additional police resources, including the tactical team, a negotiator, and emergency medical personnel were requested.
While waiting for their arrival, officers continued to speak to the man from inside the unit.
The man then broke through a glass panel in the balcony railing and lowered himself onto the balcony of the unit one floor below.
At about 9:14 a.m., the man attempted to drop to another balcony immediately below, using a belt, but lost his grip on the belt and fell to the ground below, resulting in life-threatening injuries.
ASIRT director Sue Hughson said she could not disclose the floor the man was on when he fell, but said he was “exceptionally high.”
The ASIRT news release said video evidence shows no one was on the balcony with the man as he tried to lower himself the second time.
The man was immediately treated by first responders and taken to hospital, where he remains in intensive care.
ASIRT continues to investigate the conduct of the police, including the circumstances leading up to the man's fall.