ASIRT investigating death during attempted arrest

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a woman Calgary Police Service officers were attempting to take into custody in Eau Claire early this morning.

Police were granted a drug-related warrant to search a fifth-floor apartment of a building in the 200 block of 1 Street S.E. Based on available information that there might be firearms in the apartment, police considered the warrant high-risk.

At approximately 12:30 a.m., on Wednesday, June 19, 2019, police encountered a man outside the apartment and arrested him in relation to a shooting investigation and outstanding warrants. Officers were advised that a woman, who was of interest in the investigation, was still inside the apartment. Officers surrounded the residence and attempted to encourage the woman to surrender voluntarily. At some point, the woman went over the balcony railing and was found critically injured on the ground below the apartment’s fifth floor balcony. Officers immediately applied emergency first aid and she was transported to hospital where she died shortly thereafter.

While it would appear that the woman went over the balcony railing, exactly what happened will be the focus of the ASIRT investigation and, as such, we are unable to comment any further about the circumstances. However, officers had no physical interaction with the woman.

As is required by statute, in any incident where death occurs during a police interaction, the Director of Law Enforcement was notified and ASIRT was ordered to investigate.

At this time, all the officers involved are considered witnesses and therefore remain on active duty.