An investigation into the actions of a Lethbridge Police Service member during an August 2017 response has cleared the officer of any wrongdoing in the incident where a suspect, allegedly under the influence of meth, jumped from an overpass.
In the early morning hours of August 15, 2017, LPS officers responded to a break-and-enter alarm at a liquor store in the 200 block of 12 Street North. The suspect had fled prior to the arrival of police but a description of the offender was obtained from surveillance recordings.
An officer spotted a man matching the suspect’s description a short time later on the Stafford Drive overpass. The LPS member attempted to apprehend the man but the suspect jumped over a railing on the southwest side of the bridge and landed on a concrete embankment approximately five metres below.
The suspect suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries including a fractured foot and a compression fracture of the vertebra. The 41-year-old man was transported by ambulance to Chinook Regional Hospital where he underwent surgery to repair his foot.
An Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) investigation into the incident, which included an interview with the injured man in the hours following his fall, determined the officer had acted appropriately.
According to ASIRT, the injured man admitted to consuming meth prior to his encounter with police and confirmed the officer was not responsible for his injuries.
