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• Aggressive Search of Community Agency

  **The account below is a community submission to the Archive. It has been anonymized to protect the identity of the person(s) and agency involved. This account is a personal reflection based on lived experience and opinions. All incidents are allegations not proven in a court of law, and the Archive does not investigate the veracity of reported incidents.** On May 26, 2025, at approximately 3:37 PM, [staff member], the [position], was outside the [downtown community agency] building with youth and another staff member when two uniformed Edmonton Police Service (EPS) officers approached the entrance. [Staff member], following what had been communicated from the beginning of [their] employment as [agency]’s standing “no police inside the building” policy (designed to maintain a trauma-informed, low-barrier space), gently attempted to intercept the officers. [Staff member] greeted them calmly with a smile and offered to bring out a frontline worker to speak with them, per protocol. Before [staff member] could finish speaking, one of the officers grabbed [their] arms and pushed [them] aside, nearly knocking [them] down. [They] began bruising immediately and was left visibly distressed. The same officer proceeded to threaten [staff member] and three other frontline staff members with arrest, accusing them of “obstructing justice.” He claimed they were in “hot pursuit” of an armed suspect allegedly inside the building. However, neither officer had their weapons drawn, and the search was brief and careless, with no clear urgency or safety precautions in place. No one on staff had witnessed the alleged suspect acting aggressively or violently, and no weapons were seen.
• Man dies after being tasered by police

  At 11:30 pm on Dec 7, 2015, EPS responded to a 911 call at an Edmonton residence, 120 Ave & 58 St. In the home, they observed a 49-year old man who was agitated and armed with a knife; the man's teenage son was there and had been heard calling for help during the confrontation (ASIRT 2015, 2017). The man's behavior was perceived as erratic and threatening (ASIRT reports), three officers discharged their conducted energy weapons, or Tasers, and the man was restrained and disarmed, additional units were called in by the police, recognizing the urgency of the situation. "Two minutes and 55 seconds later" he went into medical distress, officers performed first aid until EMS arrived (Edmonton Journal, 2017). The man was pronounced dead at the hospital. ASIRT opened an investigation in 2015. In 2017, they released their findings, which indicated that although the use of Tasers contributed to the cause of death, ASIRT concluded that the officers were acting appropriately given the circumstances. The chief medical examiner found the man died of “excited delirium syndrome” related to methamphetamine toxicity, ASIRT said. The struggle with police was considered “a significant contributory condition” in the death" (Edmonton Journal, 2017). **Archive note: the term 'excited delirium syndrome' has no clinical validation and is disproportionately used to describe men of colour who die in interactions with police. Several medical associations, including the American Psychological Association, have called for its discontinuation, see https://www.psychiatry.org/getattachment/7769e617-ee6a-4a89-829f-4fc71d831ce0/Position-Use-of-Term-Excited-Delirium.pdf . However, EPS continues to frequently use this term, usually to describe people who die after being tasered.**
• Suspect tasered by Edmonton Police officer experienced collapsed lung

  Edmonton Police officers were dispatched on October 22, 2016 at approximately 8:33 p.m. to the area of Fox Drive and Fort Edmonton Park Road in response to a 911 call. A shirtless man attempted to flee from multiple officers and a helicopter, falling down an embankment before being captured with the use of a taser and police dog. One deceased individual was found in the area during the search, with the fleeing man being designated as suspect. Emergency medical services on the scene determined the man had a collapsed lung, for which he was taken to hospital. The victim in the incident, Connor James Miller, was later charged and convicted with manslaughter for the murder of his friend Christopher Fawcett in the river valley that evening. On a toxicology screen, he was found positive for LSD.
• Victim endures extensive delay of justice and lingering mental anguish when officer fails to lay charges against sexual violence perpetrator as directed

  A series of delays and poor communication with regards to handling sexual assault charges caused considerable distress to a victim who had been sexually abused by both her father and brother. On December 30, 2009, Officer Dahl completed an arrest report detailing the arrest of a man for multiple crimes against his sister, including sexual assault. He also forwarded information to the Delta Police Department regarding laying charges against the victim's father for historic sexual assaults that had previously been dismissed with no charges. In early 2010, the Delta Police Department returned the file to Dahl, stating that Crown approval was needed before they could proceed. The documents were forwarded to the Edmonton Crown Prosecutor's office in May of 2010. On November 2, 2011, Officer Dahl was forwarded a letter from the Crown recommending charges of sexual interference and sexual assault against the victim's father. The letter included instructions for Dahl to notify the Crown when the charges were laid and initial court date. In 2013 Dahl appeared at the Assistant Chief Crown Prosecutor's office without appointment, announcing that he had never laid the charges as instructed. The victim had phoned him to inquire and he realized his mistake. Dahl was then subject to an EPS investigation on allegations of Neglect of Duty. Investigators contacted the victim who expressed frustration with the process for taking so long and preventing her from moving on with her life due to the trial hanging over her. She was also angered by the fact that her father had developed severe dementia and would be unlikely to be held accountable for his actions due to the delays. During a disciplinary hearing in 2015, the allegations were proven to be true. He was given an 80 hour suspension without pay.
• Two men assaulted while handcuffed during arrest; officer charged and convicted

  In the early morning of December 15, 2008, Lauchlin Torry and Jean-Marc Viau were pulled over by Constable Haoyin Zheng during a vehicle stop near 145 Street and 104 Avenue. Torry and Viau were ordered out of the truck, which was later found to have been stolen. Police searched the men and found a piece of a coat hanger in Torry’s back pocket. While being handcuffed and put into the back of the police car, Torry and Viau report that they were beaten by Zheng. Torry testified in court that Zheng yelled at him, called him a “druggie”, and punched him on the cheek. During the trial, Constable Brad Stiksma testified that he heard Torry yell for help and noticed a fresh red scrape on his chin. Earlier in the trial, Viau testified that he was sitting handcuffed in the back of the police cruiser when Zheng leaned in, struck him with a flashlight three times, and repeatedly punched him in the head. After reporting pain in his ribs, Viau was taken to the hospital following the arrest. Viau was treated for bruising and was later released from the hospital. Zheng was charged with two counts of assault and one count of assault with a weapon in the alleged beating of Lauchlin Torry and Jean-Marc Viau. The judge ruled that Zheng used excessive force against Viau and he was found guilty of assault, receiving a conditional discharge, 12 months probation, and restriction to administrative duties. Zheng would later be convicted of another assault charge in an on-duty incident from 2010 and would resign from the Edmonton Police Service.
• Victim hit repeatedly by officer in on-duty assault; officer resigns after conviction

  Officer Haoyin Zheng was charged with and convicted of assault after a 2010 incident in which he repeatedly physically assaulted an intoxicated man in a condo hallway. Sean Andrew Spicer had returned to his condo building drunk and had broken a glass door, trying to enter the residence after losing his keys. Officers were called to the scene, and while arresting him, Spicer reported that Zheng delivered several head stuns, knocked him to the ground, and hit him with additional stuns to the body while he was down. This use of force resulted in injuries to his shoulders, ribs, back and head. Spicer’s mother, Bonnie, says that her son no longer trusts the police. “We don’t want people like this as police officers” Zheng was found guilty of assaulting Spicer in a provincial court and resigned shortly after his conviction. Zheng has previously been convicted of assault in violent on-duty interactions, which Crown prosecutor Matt Dalidowicz argues is a “pattern of behaviour”. Zheng was found guilty of two counts of assault in November 2011. Earlier that year, Zheng was found guilty of an unrelated assault that occurred while he was making an arrest. He received a conditional discharge, 12 months probation, and was restricted to administrative duties in that conviction, stemming from a December 2008 case.
• Man receives permanent facial injuries requiring surgery in assault by EPS officers

  Anthony Maskell was beaten and left with permanent facial injuries by Constables Nadine Comeau and Darin Goldenberg during a traffic stop in March of 2010. “This is a case of egregious police conduct — an unwarranted, grave assault causing serious permanent injuries,” Provincial court Judge Donna Groves said in a 2011 written ruling. “This is one of those ‘clearest of cases’ that requires the court to communicate unequivocally that such conduct will not be tolerated”. The officers pulled over Maskell because a check on his license plate revealed he was suspended from driving. Officers removed Maskell from the car and threw him to the ground, placing him in the prone position. Maskell said that he was aggressively handcuffed and that the handcuffs were too tight. Officer Weins, who arrived on the scene with his partner after Maskell was handcuffed, testified that Maskell was pushed against the side of the car to hold him up. Weins stated that Maskell was having difficulty holding himself up and his legs were unsteady. Maskell states that he was thrown like a “rag doll” and that his face was pushed against the car by officers Comeau and Goldenberg. He reported having difficulty remaining conscious and having difficulty remembering much of what happened during the encounter with police. The officers said that Maskell exhibited signs of impairment; however, Maskell explained that the slurred speech and any possible stumbling or disorientation on his part were symptoms of a head injury. Judge Grove noticed several inconsistencies between the testimony of Goldenberg and Comeau in their recounting of the events. The judge deemed Maskell’s testimony of events credible. Maskell’s family took him to the Royal Alexandra Hospital where he underwent a CT scan and it was determined that Maskell had suffered severe facial trauma. Maskell was diagnosed with multiple facial bone fractures predominantly on the right side of his face. Maskell’s orbital bone was broken, as well as his nose. He had a deviated septum, and the tissues in his cheek were separated from the bone. Surgery was required to repair the damage to the right zygoma, right maxilla, right orbital floor, and a resuspension of the right cheek tissue. During surgery, two titanium plates were permanently inserted in the orbital/cheek area.
• Victim experiencing panic attack and suicidal thoughts encouraged by officer to "go ahead" and kill himself

  Tyler Lychak was experiencing a panic attack and thoughts of suicide when he was assaulted by Edmonton Police Officer Binoy Prabhu on November 3, 2017. The incident began when Lychek went to the west Edmonton Police Station to report concerns about someone who may have been selling drugs to minors outside of a nearby store. Upon exiting the police station, Lychak’s foot hit one of the sliding doors and dislodged it, causing a loud noise (which officer Derek Cranna testified to in a disciplinary hearing). Officer Prabhu and another officer followed Lychak to the parking lot where there was an argument. Lychak was arrested for mischief, placed in handcuffs, and escorted back into the police station. Lychak was brought into a holding cell and was searched by the officers. Officer Prabhu found a pressurized spray can of Sabre ‘Dog and Coyote Attack Deterrent’ in Lychak’s pocket and Lychak was informed that he was under arrest for possession of a weapon. Lychak stated that he was frightened of Officer Prabhu and he began hyperventilating. While escorting Lychak to the phone room, Prabhu grabbed Lychak and pulled him with enough force that Lychak fell to the ground. Lychak told investigating officers that he hit his head on the wall and suffered bruising to his hip and back along with soreness to his neck and shoulder. Prabhu’s use of force was captured on police station closed-circuit cameras. Lychak used the phone to call 911, stating that he was having a panic attack and the police were not helping him. After Lychak made the phone call, Prabhu returned him to the holding cell. Lychak told the officer he was going to try to kill himself and that he had attempted suicide in the past. Prabhu responded with “go ahead”. In the disciplinary hearing that followed this incident, Prabhu admitted to the above statement and the use of excessive force. "I basically relive it every day," Lychak told CBC News. "It goes through my head every day and it's really hard to block it out…I want to do this so that in the future, people with mental disabilities or mental problems can get treated better by the police. I believe that training is necessary to save lives." In 2015, Prabu was charged with assaulting his wife. The charge was withdrawn in 2016 when Prabhu admitted that he had caused his wife to fear personal injury. Prabhu entered a one-year peace bond as a result. Prabhu received a criminal charge led to two separate findings of discreditable conduct. The first finding occurred two weeks after Prabhu's encounter with Lychak. He was given a 30-hour suspension without pay and ordered to seek counseling. Prabhu went on a six-month medical leave in December 2017 and sought psychological help. He also admitted to a neglect of duty misconduct charge that dated back to October 2017.
• Victim assaulted, arrested, and searched after jaywalking; EPS officers investigated and sued in civil court

  Deron Kuski, a lawyer from Regina, was arrested on August 4, 2002, by Edmonton Police Service officers Jason Forbes and Carlos Cardoso after jaywalking. Kuski and two companions crossed a street with no visible traffic. After reaching the other side of the street, officers Forbes and Cardoso approached Kuski and his companions. Forbes asked Kuski for identification, which Kuski did not provide. Forbes asked Kuski if he could search him, to which Kuski replied “no, what for”. Without warning, Forbes placed Kuski in handcuffs and kneed him on the top of the knee, causing Kuski’s leg to buckle. Forbes proceeded to search Kuski and remove his identification and personal belongings from Kuski’s pockets. Kuski did not resist while being handcuffed but was shocked with the amount of aggression that the officers used against him. “Whenever I would hear about a complaint like this against a police officer or someone in authority, you hold some kind of skepticism toward it” Kuski said in a CBC article (linked below). “You think the guy must have done something, he must have lipped them off or got physical with them or something. And the fact this incident was not like that, yet they maintain they were within their rights of doing what they did, is so disturbing to me”. Forbes told Kuski that he would be taken to the police station. Kuski was read his rights, but he asserts that he was not told what he was being arrested for. Kuski was placed in a police cruiser and detained in a cell at the Old Strathcona Police station for approximately one hour before being released around 2:30 am. Kuski was locked out of the police station while only wearing a golf shirt and pants in 0 °C. After approximately 10 minutes outside of the station, Kuski knocked on the doors and asked to wait inside the station until his taxi arrived. The police officer answering the door refused Kuski re-entry, despite his complains about the cold. The taxi still had not shown up after an hour waiting outside, so Kuski obtained a ride from a pizza delivery driver back to his hotel. Kuski and his lawyer state the police were “reckless and malicious” by forcing the victim to wait outside in the cold in an unfamiliar city, without arranging appropriate transportation. Kuski left the station with citations for jaywalking and refusing to identify oneself to a police officer. Kuski filed a complaint against the officers, which was dismissed after 14 months. Kuski appealed the discission and filed a civil suit against Forbes and Cardoso.
• Indigenous woman wrongfully arrested during wellness check, officer pleads guilty to neglect of duty

  During a wellness check initiated by the victim's father, Arlene Sams was wrongfully arrested and charged after Constable David Olsson claimed that Sams operated a motorized vehicle while intoxicated. In a 2016 hearing, Constable Olsson plead guilty to neglect of duty and admitted that he had not seen Sams operate the vehicle, nor had he investigated the claims that the victim did not have access to the vehicle keys. Olsson was given a demotion and an 80-hour suspension without pay. At the request of the victim, Olsson will participate in a reconciliation process through a healing circle with Sams. Sams is trying to heal from the stigma of being wrongfully accused.