No charges for Regina officer who fatally shot homicide suspect: watchdog

A Saskatchewan police officer will not face charges following the fatal shooting of a 29-year-old homicide suspect in Regina last July, according to a Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) investigation. The officer acted within legally protected limits, the watchdog concluded in its report dated August 14th. The investigation was described as "comprehensive and thorough," incorporating civilian evidence, interviews, the officer's statement, and items seized from the scene.

The suspect, who had been arrested and released two days prior to the shooting, was found in an alley after police lost sight of him. He was holding a knife and was shot after reaching into a pocket and allegedly pulling out a gun believed to be a Glock 19. The object was later confirmed to be a cellphone, and an autopsy revealed the cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the torso.

Multiple drugs were found in the suspect's system at the time of his death. No video evidence of the shooting was available, but 16 Regina police officers were present as witnesses. The officer who fired the shot claimed he feared for his life and acted accordingly, with no contradictory evidence found in the probe.