Saskatchewan’s Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) has released the findings of their investigation into a fatal shooting by a Prince Albert Police Service (PAPS) officer in January of 2023.
The investigation has found the officer committed no offense when they shot the 34-year-old man on the 400 block of South Industrial Drive. An autopsy found the man, whose name was not released, but has been identified in previous media reports as Johnathan Gardiner, died as a result of a single gunshot wound to the upper right chest. Gardiner had roots in Buffalo Narrows and Île-à-la-Crosse.
SIRT said their investigation found on Jan. 16 2023 police in P.A tried to stop a 2000 Honda Prelude, which refused to stop and eventually evaded police. The investigation found the person who was shot was driving the vehicle and was with a female acquaintance. The two eventually left the vehicle and phoned for a taxi to come pick them up. The woman who was in the car told investigators the man told her he was wanted by police.
Eventually the officer who fired the fatal shot traveled to the area where the two were waiting for the taxi. Investigators said the officer pulled up to the two people and asked their names and when he heard the man’s name was aware that the man was a person of interest in relation to a homicide investigation. The officer also found the man was wanted on an outstanding warrant. Investigators said the officer told the man about the warrants and said when the officer told the man he was under arrest the man tried to leave which resulted in a physical altercation. The man eventually ran away.
SIRT said the officer chased the man into a parking lot of a business. While pursuing the officer told investigators he saw the man reaching in to his pockets. The officer told investigators he saw a pistol in the man’s hand and at that point drew his service weapon. The officer said he fired when the man raised the pistol up towards him.
During their investigation SIRT said they interviewed seven police officers who attended the scene after the shooting. Four civilian witnesses were also interviewed during the investigation. Two of the civilian witnesses were people who were with the man who was shot before hand. Along with witness interviews SIRT said they as well seized video evidence from PAPS vehicles along with video recorded by the cameras of local businesses in the area which helped investigators in reaching their conclusions.
SIRT said their investigators as well seized physical evidence from the shooting scene. This evidence included a replica handgun which was found on the ground at the scene along a backpack which had a sawed off 22 calibre riffle and a machete inside. The pistol can reportedly be seen on the ground in video footage obtained by investigators.
In their report SIRT investigators found there was no way for the officer to determine that the replica firearm was not an actual firearm given its appearance. Overall investigators found the officer acted reasonably in assuming the firearm was a real one.
Due to the investigation’s findings the shooting is not being referred to the provincial attorney general and SIRT’s involvement with the matter is now finished.
The full report can be read on the provincial Ministry of Justice and Attorney General website.