Our ile: 2017-6-540 2018 March 22, Edmonton Journal 10006 101 Steet Edmonton, AB TSI 0S1 ‘Attention: Mr, Jonathan WAKEFIELD Dear Sir ‘am responding on behalf of my colleague Shane PURPUR to your request for accees 10 information pursuant to the Alberta FOIPP Act that was received by the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) FOIPP Unit on 2017 July 24, You requested records relating fo “Revers, née raps ane staal voeation on cases where an EPS oficer vd force apa 1 dog. ncude any eave poses on use a rice eeelanivoing dogs hang al ebot Bolts on vse of forcaae-ezaation rvokingcone” ‘The ime period for your request was from 2015 January Ot to 2017 July 17. Please find enclosad the following which are responsive to your request: ‘+ Current EPS OP7PO Use of Force Policy, + Previous EPS 2M Other Investigations procedure relating to dangercus dogs, + Previous EPS IN1-3PR Investigation of Cimes Against Socety Procoduree Fetating to dangerous dogs, + Cunsit EPS IN1-3PR investigation of Crimes Against Society Procedure relating to dangerous dogs, ‘+ Achart containing the use of force reports relating to an attacking dog for he requested tme period, consisting of one (1) page, and + Controt Tacies Reperis and Narratives of pace offices directly involved in the Uses of force, consisting of twenty-three (28) pages Information has been redacted form the records pursuant to sections 4(1), 17{%), 17(4), and 20(1) ofthe Alberts FOIPP Act 4t1) This At eps to al rcads ine cusicay a under the cont! of ¢ plc bod, incuding cout edition recor, bul doesnt spb a heaving (recor rlaing oa prosecuton at peootedngs in Tespectot the pasotuton havent conploce4711) Tye toad of pec body must refuse to asclese perscna itormaton to an epoicant fhe As he approached the side door he noted sounds coming from the backyard and decided toinvestigate «As Cst") "741 made it close ta the back of the house he observed a large black and brown Pitbull growling aggressively at him and aggressing toward him rapidly * Cst. "backed away from the dog trying to calm it down but the dog continued to charge at him in an aggressive manner and he believed that an attack capable of causing grievous bodily harm was imminert. © Cet." crew his service pistol and fired a single round toward the dog (centr= of mass) + The round struck the dog on it's front left paw causing minor injuryimei Cat ON Page 1872 + "The dog yelpad, stopped aggressing toward him and began to go back'WSIRE"backyare + The owner othe dog / residence then exited to determine what was going on 2. examined the scene in greater detail and noted the following: The residence is a single family detached residence. The front is encircled by a short Cast iron fenoe with a small gate ‘There is a walkway along the south of the home to access the side door and backyard There is no gate or access control point along this path ‘The walkway is very narrow with a high fence on the south side and the building on the north thereby containing anyone who walks through to either exit There was blood droplets along the walkway with 2 small pool at the east end and a small pool in he backyard There was a single casing (40 Cal S&W) on the wallavay ‘The was a fragmented bullet from striking the dog and sidewalk approximately 8 - 10 feet ‘west along tha sidewalk + There was no property camage observed 4. | spoke with Cst."* with forensic identification section upon his arrival on scene. Cst. ‘0 N® seized the bullet and casing and examined Cst.'7) 17) firearm, He wil complete a report of his findings, 5. I then spoke with Cst,17(*] 17(4) who conducted door to door enquiries with the neighboring residents. He advised that several neighbors had detailed that the dog was quite aggressive and had shown aggression towards neighbors and their animals alike in the past. 17(1) 17(4) cst 17(1) 17(4) also checked the neighborhood for video that would capture the incident though none was available. There was a hancheld video capturing the events that occurred approximately 5 ‘minutes after the shooting but could not be seized without seizing the witnesses phone and presented no evidentiary value. 6. 17(1) 1714) Animal control advised they would have the dog treated 17(1) 17(4) 7. Ireviewed Cet." and Cst:17(1) 17(4) police reports. Cet. 17%) articulation and actions appears consistent with both the physical evidence | observed and documented on scene as well as with neighborhood accounts of the dog's behavior. Secondarly, the only ‘witness to the incident, Cet17(1) 17(4) provides a similar version of events which again corroborates and supports Cst "%\")*"#) actions. Based on the circumstances and articulation Heel no further investigative steps necessary. non responsive, 17(1) 17(4)|Reporter-[OATTNI NO} psroweh gee 20°73 Narrative 17(1) 17(4) Followup 2017/07/20 14:04 Police Witness Statement INVESTIGATIONS: 4, On 47JUL14 17(1) 17(4) with my partner, Cst. 17(1) 17(4) . At approx. 1105 hrs Cst17(1) 1714) and | attended 17(1) 17(4) * with intentions to follow up on an investigation in relation to a 171) 17) andi file (EPS #17(1) 17(4)), 17(1) 17(4) Tre 2. Lartived at the front of the residence at approx. 1105 hrs. The front yard was fenced with aan unlocked gate leading to the walkway of the property. The gate was approx. 2' from the sidewalk and access to either the front or side door was not possible without entering through the gate. I voiced the location aver the radio prior to approaching the residence It should be noted that | did not observe any signs posted indicating there was @ dog on the property, nor did | have any knowledge that a dog was present at this time. 3, The house is situated in a manner so that the side door is on the south wall(approx, halt ‘way down the side of the house) and the front door is on the east. The side door is at ground level and the front door is on a raised porch, The narrow main walkway leads directly to the side door and continues into the back yard area. The house is set back from the front of the property line at leaet 20°, The walkway was bordered by 2 tall fence to the snuith and the exterior wall of the house on the north, Based on the layout, it appeared as though the main point of access fer this particular residence was the side docr. 4, approached the side door, while Cst 17(1) 17/4) maintained visual continuity of the front. AAs | approached | could see, through the storm door, that the main door to the residence was ‘open. At this time | heard some shufling coming from the back yard. | believed that someone ‘may be in the back, so I decided to investigate. | took approx. two steps past the door and intended to announce my presence. At this moment a large breed dog (which I believed to be a pit bull) appeared around the south west corner of the house. ‘The following risk factors and considerations influenced my proceeding actions: © 17(1) 1714)Rept -{0817°0) ghee 21078 w lnmy experience, | am also aware that fis nat uncomman fr individual’ HVSIEG in crime fo have dogs, specifaly pit Bll, to act as pretection for themselves anc their property « Thave had experiences in the past where these canines are particulary unfriendly and aggressive toward people in uniform «The dog was not leashed, nor was there a gate or any impedance between myself and the canne «Iwas aware tat pt bulls have a high propensity for aggression and can cause significant bodily inury nan attack « I dd not observe an owner tobe present. {iad no experience or knowledge with this particular canine prior to this incident. {am aware that Oleoresin Capsicum spray is highly ineffectve against carines * Iwas wearing the standard issue Beet officer uniform which consists of bke shorts and short sleeved bike shir. This uniform offers no leva of protection to extremities, inoreasing tne risk for exposurelnjry. 5. Upon seeing me, the dog immediately began displaying signs of aggression. The dog began to growl and lowered his head while approaching me. | attempted to back up slowly and calm the dog verbally; however, as I did the dog began picking up speed and charging ‘toward me. | continued to back up several feet as the dag got to within aporox. 10° of my position. 6. Atthis momert I determined that the dog was going to physically attack me. | was aware that an attack from this kind of canine had a high likelihood of causing serious bodily injury, | also realized that | would not be able to retreat quickly enough to safety. In addition, the front gate was low encugh that the dog could likely jump over it. At this time I determined that the only way to escape physically injury myself, or to my partner, was to physically incapacitate the dog. | had only moments to make a decision and take an appropriate defensive action, 7. Based on the sircumstances and my belief that a canine attack was imminent, | decide to pull my standard issue firearm ang fired one round at the charging canine. The bullet appeared to make contact with the dog on its front left leg/paw. As a result the canine yelped and stopped charging toward me before retreating to the back yard. At this time (approx. 1108 hrs), Cst17(1) 17(4) and | notified dispatch of the use of force, exited the yard, and closed the gate. 8, Within a few seconds of firing the shot a 17(1) 17(4) (the carine's owner) presented himself from the backyard. | attempted to explain ‘what had occurred and provided him with first aid instructions for the canine’s injury. ‘7(1) 1714) carried the canine to the front of the hause and then secured it inside the residence Until it could be transported to a veterinary clinic by animal bylaw officers. 8. | remained outside of the residence and provided details ofthe incident to my supervisors and the member n charge of the investigation. At approx. 1220 hrs | was relived from the scene. ‘This concludes my involvement in this file,Reporter 0A17701"19) craroregi0 250178 Narrative 47(1) 17(4) Followup 2017/07/20 14:10 Police Witness Statement INVESTIGATIONS: 41.) On 17JUL14 at approximately 1045 hours, 17(7) 17(4) to assist 17(1) 17(4) ‘with a17111774) file (Ref EPS File 17(1) 1744) 2.) 17(1) 1714) 2.) My partner and I then attended the area of 17(1) 17(4) 4.)17(1) 17(4) My partner and I proceeded ta the front of the residence where we Identified and confirmed the address to be 17(1) 17(4) 55.) In attempts to conduct a follow up at the residence and to speak any occupants of the residence, my pertner and | entered the property to conduct a knock and talk. 6.) The residence was on the West curb of” with an East facing front deor, directly on the south side of the residence was a second door. The property was enclosed by a small metal framed gate which was approx. 2.5Ft in height. As my partner and | entered the property | observed no occupants in the yard. 7.) My partner proceeded to the South side of the property towards the side door, where | stood at the corner of the SE corner to maintain continuity of the front door. Within seconds | ‘observed a large sized dark coloured dog which appeared to be a pit-bull at the Southest corner of the house, | then yelled out to my partner to inform him of my observations as | began to retreat n an East direction. The dog rounded the comer and immediately began growling at my partner and I. My partner was substantially closer to the dog than | was, with‘Reporter -{OAI770N19) Page 25 0173 a distance of app’ox. 5ft between my partner and |, The dog immediately loWeF@dts stance ‘with its hind legs straight and his front legs in a position where it appeared he was about to lunge or attack my partner and |. The distance between myself, my partner and the dog began te close as the dog began praceeding towards my partner. 8.) Let it be noted that the small space between the residence and the fence was extremely narrow, with no safe routes to escape or retreat other then towards the front of the residence or directly towards the dog with an aggressive stance, The sidewalk was approximately 3.5 Ft in width, with several unknown threats within the residence, or currently remaining at the rear of the house. 9.) As | began to retreat backwards to the front yard, | noticed that my partner was also doing the same thing but again with smaller distance from the dog to himsel!. | noticed the dog to lose the gap in a quick manner which resulted in me un-holstering my firearm as the immediate threat of the dog to myself was drastically increasing, 10.) Within seconds, | then heard a shot fired with the immediate yelp of the dog, it was apparent that my partners firearm was in his hands, and had stopped the dog from proceeding towards him or myself. | broadcasted the information over the radio to inform the appropriate chain of command, including having additional resources attend. The owner of the residence later identified as 17(1) 17(4) had appeared from the rear of the residence 471) 1714) ‘The dog at this time had been in 17(1)174) arms, and he proceeded to the rear of the address, 111.) My partner and | then exited the front yard and stood on the sidewalk, on the outside of the small metal gate as we were unaware of any further threats from within the property. 171) 17) then reappeared to the front of the yard with the dog in his arms and ‘brought the dog inside the residence. Shortly thereafter additional resources attended the scene and 17°) "| was able to have his dog taken to a Vet by Animal Bylaw. While 17(1) 174) transportad his dog to the Animal Bylaw vehicle | noted the dog which '"")™4) referred to as 17(1) 17(4) to Fave a woundiinjury to the front left paw area; 17(1) 17(4) was conscious and alert while in the care of 7°)", non responsive, 17(1) 17(4)Reporter -[OMI7 7010 Narrative 17(1) 17(4) Followup 2017/07/15 17:52 Police Witness Statement 471) 1714) Involvement: « First patrol unit to arrive on scene to assist” Beats. * Arrived on scene with partner Reg"! Cst.17(1) 17/4). © 17(1) 174) ‘* Conducted neighborhood inquiries in the area of 17(1) 17(4) INVESTIGATIONS: 4. On July 14, 2017, my partner Reg" Cst17(1) 17(4) and I (Reg Cst.17(1) 17(4)) ‘were on patrol operating a marked police vehicle wearing full patrol uniforms. At 11 10 hrs, we. arrived at 17(1) 17(4) to assist” Beats as a call over the radio was made that a ‘member shot @ dog at the location. We were the first patrol members to arrive and came on scene about § minutes after the radia broadcast. Upon our arrival, | observed a couple members of the Beat team outside of 17(1) 17(4) _. They were on the public side of the fence and the one member was talking towards the house saying put direct pressure on the ‘wound, I was in dark as to what had transpired 2, Almost immediately after | artived, 17(1) 17/4) __got my attention from across the street because he was yelling at us.17(1) 17(4) and was tied up dealing with him for sometime. 171 174) told me that he didnt see ‘what had happened but overhoard that police had chet the neighbor's deg, 171) “%) 1 did not tell him what happened because | was not there and was still unaware myself. 3. At 1137 hrs,17(1) 174) | waited on scene at the direction of A/S/SgI. "7°!" and was later tasked with doing door-to-door inquiries. Here is a highlight of my checks 17(1)17(4) (house directly to the south of the scene) + 17(1) 1714) * I checked the north side of the house and did not see any damage or bullet fragments. 17(1) 17(4) (house directly to the north of the scene}Reporter [OTP] Pageaoet73 ersront + l obtained a statement 17(1) 17(4) + "701°" heard the shot but did not see it. + 471) 17(4) + 170) ig aware that a brown and black Pitbull named "ives at the scene. + 700174) jg unsure who the owner of the Pitbull is but “"""" refers to it as his dog. ‘+ "00% believes the Pitbull is very aggressive and has witnessed the dog attack another dog about a week ago. + 07%® also observed police at the scene last Friday when the Pitbull nearly attacked an officer: 47(1) 1714) + No answer at the door. 171) 174) + No answer at the door. 471) 17(4) = 17(1) 1714) #171) 1714) ‘and | obtained a statementt 7(1) 17(4) = 8 474) 17(4) +" saw the Pitbull aggressively run after 17(1) 17(4) a few days ago but did not bite her. 17(1) 1714) © 17(1) 17(4) write out a statement 17(1) 17/4) = 17(1) 1714) + 17(1)17(4) heard the gun shot and looked out and ")"?®) police on scene. + 17(1)17(4) has seen the dog out in the neighborhood in the past and described it as an intimidating dog who has stared and growled at 17(1) 114} in the past. 1741) 4704) * No answer at the door. 47(1) 1744) ‘+ No answer at the door. 411) 17(4) = 17(4) 1714) not fo have seen or heard anything © 17(1) 1714) 171) 17¢4)‘Reparer-{OAI7 710) ersrceeig9031 0178 + No answer atthe door 171) 1714) + No answer atthe door 17(1) 1714) + Lobtained a statement 17(1) 17(4) + 171174) claimed she heard a "pop noise and later saw a bunch of police across the street. ome san | is aware of a Pitbull at the house. ) has seen the dog lung at people passing by and the dog barks aggressively. 17(1) 17(4) +1701) 1714) © 17(1) 1714) did not see the incident, only heard it. = 17(1) 1714) did not want to cooperate with police, 471) 174) © 17(1) 1714) +" was the one police observed filming them after the incident. ‘+ "told me that he started filming police about § minutes after the gun shot was heard, = 17(1) 174) heard the gun shot but did not see the incident ** I reviewed the video on™" coll phone and can confirm it began just as | arrived ‘on scene and it showed members on the outside of the fence and then me 17(1) 1714) + ™* claimed he did not know how to get the video off ofthe phone and his attempt to ‘email it to me failed, * (I saw little value in the video and therefore did not seize the phone to preserve the footage.) 111) 1714) + No answer at the door. © 17(1) 174) 411) 174) = 17(4) 174) not to have seen or heard anything © 17(1) 1714) 471) 1714) + No answer at the door. 471) 17(4)Repent (cannon) PPE eee eee eter trea ‘+ No answer at the door. 4, At 1927 hrs, Cst 17/1) *7(4) and I departed the scene. This completes our involvement, non responsive, 17(1) 17(4)