Man shot by police fired gun at officers: watchdog
Alberta’s police watchdog said a man shot dead by Edmonton police on Boxing Day had a gun and fired it after officers pulled over the truck he was in as part of a “highrisk arrest.”
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) said in a Friday news release that the 34-year-old, who friends have identified as Buck Evans, shot his gun after defying officers’ orders and refusing to get out of a red Chevrolet truck. Multiple officers also fired weapons.
Evans was wanted on outstanding warrants, according to ASIRT, and was considered “armed and dangerous.” The agency said independent evidence suggests Evans had a gun, but the news release did not specify the type of gun, how many officers fired weapons or who is believed to have fired first.
Evans, taken to hospital shortly after the shoot out near 71 Street and 79 Avenue in the King Edward Park neighbourhood, died at 2:45 p.m. Wednesday.
No one else was injured in the shooting, including two other people who had left the truck. But at least 10 bullet holes in the truck and multiple bullet holes marking the outside walls of the nearby Urban Village Condo complex paint the picture of a wild scene.
On Friday, a single bouquet of red flowers marked the site.
Lisa Wallbridge, owner of JLR Property Management Inc., which manages the complex, said she wonders why police decided to run the high-risk takedown 30 feet from people’s homes.
“We appreciate what (police) do but they picked the wrong location to take them down,” said Wallbridge, adding that there are fields nearby that would have been a more appropriate location.
Wallbridge said at least four bullets hit the building and one went through a window, including one that landed in the bedroom of a young girl. Her father told Postmedia Wednesday his daughter fortunately wasn’t home at the time.
Wallbridge learned about the shooting from residents while it was happening.
“It was horrifying for them because everyone circled in that area could see it and hear it,” she said.“They were absolutely terrified because I was getting the calls and going, ‘Just stay in your suite and bunker down until we know what’s going on.’”
Wallbridge is thankful none of the residents were hurt in the shooting. ASIRT investigates all cases involving police that result in injury or death.