An RCMP officer in southern Alberta has been cleared of any wrongdoing following a use of force incident in 2022. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

No penalties for Piikani RCMP officer who tased man in custody

May 8, 2025 | 1:21 PM

A report into a “use of force” case in southern Alberta has been completed.

Matthew Block, the Assistant Executive Director of the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT), was tasked with looking into a case from nearly three years ago where a taser was used against a man who was in the custody of the RCMP.

On June 11, 2022, a man turned himself in to the Pincher Creek RCMP on an outstanding warrant. The man told ASIRT that he had done so on that date in hopes of avoiding issues he had with the RCMP in the past.

Due to staffing shortages at the Pincher Creek detachment, he was going to be transferred to the Brocket RCMP instead.

The report claims that the man has a history of violence towards RCMP officers and had an outburst during his bail hearing, so a request was made for two officers from the Piikani Nation RCMP to assist with the transport. The officer in question was one of the members from the Piikani Nation detachment.

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The man cooperated and walked, unrestrained, to the booking desk, carrying a paperback book and his glasses.

The man said he thought everything had been going well up until the point that the officer in question arrived, and claimed that this officer was a “bully” and changed “the whole dynamic” of the situation.

Block wrote in his report that the man was advised that he would need to be handcuffed during the transport, and he “immediately became uncooperative.”

Although leg restraints had been applied without issue, the man said he did not want to be handcuffed with his hands behind his back because he believed he would not get his book and glasses back.

The officer in question, along with their partner, tried to gain physical control of the situation. He used his taser on the man, who dropped to the floor in a crouched position, kicking in the direction of two of the other attending officers.

The taser was used a second time, and the man was placed into handcuffs. After a short period, he was brought to his feet without any further issue and did not require medical attention.

Section 25 of the Criminal Code of Canada states that police officers are permitted to use as much force as is necessary for the execution of their duties.

The report states that the officer in question’s use of force was “proportionate, necessary and reasonable.”

It concluded that there were no reasonable grounds to believe that an offence was committed.

The full report can be found online here.

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