Nicholas L. M. Allen
Nov 16, 2022
Investigation closes after over two years of looking into the incident.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) concluded their investigation surrounding the death of a 30-year-old man in Blairmore on February 11, 2020.
On the same day as the incident, the Director of Law Enforcement assigned ASIRT to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Brian Kyle Schriver, who was shot in Blairmore during an interaction with officers from the RCMP. As a part of ASIRT’s investigation, two officers from the RCMP Crowsnest Pass detachment were designated as “subject officers” and now the investigation is complete.
According to the report, In The Matter Of An Officer-Involved Shooting Causing Death In Blairmore, Alberta On February 11, 2020 released by ASIRT’s Executive Director Michael Ewenson, they worked with RCMP Forensic Identification Services (RCMP FIS) and the Calgary Police Service Forensic Crime Scenes Unit (CPS FCSU) during the investigation.
The same report said they interviewed all relevant police and civilian witnesses, conducted a scene examination of the incident location, documented all exhibits seized and attended the autopsy of the suspect. Video footage from the incident was analyzed by ASIRT investigators along with audio of communications from before and during the incident.
Both officers provided a statement to ASIRT investigators for use during the investigation while under no obligation to do so.
In the report it detailed the suspect’s extensive criminal record. This included five convictions for flight from police, three convictions for resisting or obstructing an officer, and a conviction for attempting to obstruct justice. He also had numerous convictions for violence and property offences. At the time of the shooting, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition, and was prohibited from driving.
A collapsible police-style baton and a shotgun shell were located on the floor on the front driver’s side of the suspect’s vehicle and various bullets and casings were found in the centre console between the front seats. On the passenger’s side, there were two boxes of bullets for a total of 184 rounds in the vehicle.
The Home Hardware in Blairmore where the shooting occurred had cameras in and around it, but the external cameras only covered parts of the parking lot, and therefore only some of the incident was captured on video. Also, the timestamp shown on the cameras were off by 10 minutes.
The report concluded that on the day of the shooting, the officers decided to conduct a high-risk stop of a vehicle associated to the suspect. In response to this stop, the suspect drove his vehicle and almost ran over or crushed one of the officers that responded. The other officer began to discharge his firearm at the suspect shortly after. While the suspect was driving around the police vehicle, the officer that was almost hit by the vehicle also began to discharge his firearm at the suspect. Many of these gunshots hit the suspect or his vehicle and he was killed.
The officers were in a dynamic situation where both of their lives were in danger the report said. In less than a period of 36 seconds, the officers had responded with lethal force, but given the threat posed by the suspect, the use of force was considered “proportionate, necessary, and reasonable.” There are “no reasonable grounds to believe either of the officers committed a criminal offence” according to the report.
The executive director’s full report can be accessed online here. ASIRT’s mandate is to investigate incidents involving Alberta’s police in an effective, independent and objective manner. They look at incidents that have resulted in serious injury or death to any person, as well as serious or sensitive allegations