Man shot during police confrontation following hit-and-run

Item

Incident ID
210,003
Incident Title
Man shot during police confrontation following hit-and-run
Incident Date
18 August 2018
Incident Description
Sterling Ross Cardinal was shot by police during an altercation in Northeast Edmonton. Cardinal was driving a stolen vehicle and was intercepted by police after being involved in a hit-and-run. According to ASIRT (the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team), two police officers approached the vehicle in the area of 66 Street and 123 Avenue and ordered Cardinal and the passenger to come out with their hands up. The passenger exited the vehicle and surrendered, but Cardinal stayed in the vehicle. The passenger later stated that Cardinal had a rifle in his lap. According to the ASIRT report, “This officer yelled ‘Gun, get back’ at the other officer, and commanded the man to drop the weapon. The man verbally refused, stating that he would not drop the gun, that officers would have to shoot him, and that he would shoot police,” (Edmonton Journal, June 5, 2020) before Cardinal fired one shot towards an officer. Police fired multiple shots in response, hitting Cardinal and killing him at the scene. Both Cardinal and his passenger were wanted on Canada-wide warrants for statutory release violations. A toxicology report from an autopsy showed he had alcohol, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana in his system.

Cardinal was an Indigenous man from Calling Lake and a father of three, including a two-month-old baby boy.
Description Type
Non-eyewitness, based on documentation
Incident City
Edmonton
Incident Neighbourhood
Industrial Heights
Injuries Incurred
Multiple gunshot wounds
Fatal
Weapon used
Pistol
Type of Abuse
Fatal violence
Victim Gender
Man
Victim Race
First Nations, Inuit and Metis
Authority Involved
Edmonton Police Service
Court Cases
ASIRT Investigation opened 2018, concluded June 4, 2020 that use of force was justified
ASIRT Release: Investigation opened, August 20, 2018
ASIRT Release: Findings, June 5, 2020
Submission Source
Research team
Submission Source Link
Confidentiality/Restrictions
From published source
Archive Publication Date
11 November 2021
Multimedia Type
PDF
Item sets