On April 16, 2024, at 5:08 p.m., Cochrane RCMP attempted the arrest of a suspect following a traffic stop in a rural area surrounding Cochrane. The suspect's vehicle collided with a police vehicle, disabling the suspect's vehicle in the process. The suspect then exited his vehicle and a confrontation ensued, which resulted in an RCMP officer discharging their service weapon.
The suspect suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries and no officers or members of the public were injured.
In compliance with legislative requirements, the Director of Law Enforcement was immediately notified causing the deployment of ASIRT to conduct an independent investigation. The RCMP believes in accountability and transparency and in so doing will provide full support to the ASIRT investigators. Events like this are difficult for everyone involved.
Independent of ASIRT's investigation, the RCMP's internal review process has been implemented to gather a full account of what took place during this incident. RCMP training, policy, police response, and the officer's duty status will be subject to review. The RCMP is, of course, fully cooperating with ASIRT. All media inquiries about this incident should now be directed to ASIRT at 780-641-9099.