By Lara Fominoff (@fomsy1 on Twitter)

Alberta Serious Response Team investigating incident between suspect and Lethbridge Police

Aug 15, 2017 | 4:06 PM

LETHBRIDGE- UPDATE: Alberta’s Serious Incident Response Team has issued a statement regarding the events involving a Lethbridge Police Officer and potential break and enter suspect. According to a statement from ASIRT, an alarm was triggered just after 12 a.m. Tuesday, August 15, at the Centre Village Liquor Store.

Officers responded, found what appeared to be a break and enter, and soon reviewed the store’s surveillance tape. From that, they got a description of a potential suspect and broadcast it to other officers on patrol.

About half an hour later at 12:30 a.m., police found a man matching the clothing and description on the Stafford Drive overpass, approached him, and an officer tried speaking to the 41-year old man.

 The man then fell over the railing, down 15 feet onto the ground, suffering serious injuries to his foot.

ASIRT says the man was not restrained in any way at the time.

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The man was taken to Chinook Regional Hospital, where he underwent surgery and remains in the hospital.

According to the statement, “ASIRT’s investigation will focus on the circumstances surrounding the serious injury sustained by the man while being detained. The investigation will determine whether police conduct may have caused or significantly contributed to the serious injury and, if so, whether that conduct was lawful.”

No further comment will be made by the Serious Incident Response Team, because the investigation is in its early stages.

AUGUST 15 – Alberta’s Serious Incident Response Team is investigating an incident that occured between a suspect and a Lethbridge Police officer early Tuesday morning (August 15).
 
According to a statement from Lethbridge Police, officers responded to a report of a break and enter at a liquor store along the 200 block of 12 Street North.
 
The suspect fled the scene before officers arrived, but someone matching his description was located a short time later, on the Stafford Drive overpass.
 
According to LPS, the man was approached by an officer and told he was under “investigative detention.”
 
Police say an “interaction” ensued, and the 41-year old man suffered serious, but non- life threatening injuries.
 
He was transported to Chinook Regional Hospital and is now in stable condition.
 
Acting Chief Scott Woods says he welcomes ASIRT’s independent investigation.
 
The officer in question remains assigned to regular duties.