Sask. police watchdog's first report clears officers, says man's wounds were self-inflicted

Saskatchewan's police watchdog has released its first report on an investigation into possible wrongdoing by a police officer.

The Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) is an independent, civilian-led unit responsible for investigating serious incidents involving on and off-duty police in Saskatchewan. It officially began operating on Jan. 1, 2023.

The five-page report published on Tuesday looks at an incident on June 27, 2023, where a man in Regina was injured during an arrest. It says SIRT found no evidence that police broke the law and that the man's wounds were self-inflicted.

"There being no grounds to believe an offence was committed by any police officer, SIRT's involvement with this matter is concluded without referral to the Attorney General for Saskatchewan," the report concludes.

The incident

The report describes the day's events as follows:

On June 27, members of the Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit executed a search warrant at a home in Regina to search for evidence related to potential possession of child pornography. Officers from the Regina Police Service and RCMP were present.

They arrived at 6:50 a.m. CST. The suspect, a 42-year-old man, was showering when officers arrived. His mother answered the door.

Officers let the suspect get dressed then showed a copy of the warrant and advised him of his rights.

The 42-year-old asked to speak with a lawyer and was allowed to make a private call.

Officers found several electronic devices in the basement bedroom where the 42-year-old was living. They asked the man for the passwords to the devices, but he refused. Officers then found several USB drives. A technician on-site found child sexual abuse material on the drives, the report says.

Officers informed the 42-year-old that he was under arrest for possession of child pornography. The man backed up, reached into a drawer and retrieved a kitchen knife, the report says.

The man then held the knife to his chest as a police officer and his mother both shouted words to the effect of "don''t do it."

"Several police offices drew their firearms at this point, and one attempted to negotiate with the affected person before he began stabbing himself in the chest," the report says.

Four officers then struggled with the 42-year-old and they all fell to the ground. One of the officers was able to take the knife from the man.

The man was handcuffed and police immediately commenced first aid. They called EMS, who transported the man to hospital in serious condition from three stab wounds to the chest.

The 42-year-old was accompanied by police. He received treatment and was ultimately released from hospital on July 1.

Two officers sustained cuts to their hands during the struggle for the knife, the report says.

The investigation

At approximately 10:20 a.m. CST that day, Regina police notified SIRT that a man had been injured during an arrest.

SIRT investigators were immediately deployed to the scene and eight police officers were eventually interviewed as part of the investigation, the report says.

The 42-year-old's mother was interviewed and she confirmed that the wounds were self-inflicted. The suspect's father was less co-operative and refused to provide a recorded statement.

The man was also interviewed by police at the Regina Provincial Correctional Centre.

The 42-year-old told SIRT investigators he had little memory of the incident, but that he felt forced to take the actions he did. However, he was unable to clearly articulate how he was forced, the report says.

According to SIRT, it is "beyond dispute that the serious injury sustained by the affected person during this incident was self-inflicted."

As a result, the primary concern for SIRT was whether there was negligence on behalf of the police.

"Under the Criminal Code, negligence offences require demonstration of wanton or reckless disregard for the lives or safety of other persons. In this case, the evidence falls far short of demonstrating such a departure," the SIRT report says.

The report concludes that the officers' efforts to disarm the 42-year-old, and to provide first aid, show that police demonstrated significant concern for preserving life.

As a result, no charges were laid against police.

SIRT's investigations

The completed investigation was submitted to SIRT's civilian executive director, Gregory Gudelot, on Oct. 13.

Under the provincial legislation that created SIRT, the director is required to make a summary of the investigation available to the public three months after receiving the report.

Since the police watchdog began operating on Jan. 1, 2023, the agency has taken charge of 11 other investigations.

A review by CBC late last year found half of the incidents being investigated by SIRT were the result of fatalities.

Three of those were from police-involved shootings. The latest occurred Dec. 21, on the Red Earth Cree Nation.

The three other fatal incidents involved people found non-responsive or in medical distress.