Edmonton police shooting of Matthew Arkangelo criticized: ‘Seems like he was just gunned down’

New information camera video shows what happened successful nan fatal brushwood betwixt Mathios (Matthew) Arkangelo and an Edmonton constabulary officer.

It depicts nan young man opinionated successful beforehand of an Edmonton constabulary officer, pinch his arms raised, holding thing successful 1 of his hands. He took a measurement guardant and nan serviceman fired his gun.

The video obtained by Global News shows nan Saturday, June 29th shooting successful nan Fraser area of northwest Edmonton. It comes arsenic Alberta’s constabulary watchdog is investigating nan shooting.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team said nan business began pinch a azygous conveyance rollover connected Anthony Henday Drive adjacent 153rd Avenue conscionable earlier 9 p.m.

A 911 caller said nan man driving nan conveyance had near nan segment connected foot, truthful constabulary began canvassing nan surrounding neighbourhoods of nan organization of Fraser.

At astir 9:11 p.m., nan EPS Air 1 chopper squad was asked to thief and began flying complete nan area.

A explanation of nan driver was provided to EPS officers and astatine 9:21 p.m., 1 radioed successful that they’d spotted a personification matching nan description.

ASIRT said nan man walked successful nan guidance of nan constabulary SUV arsenic nan serviceman drove nan vehicle, pinch emergency lights activated, towards him. At astir 9:22 p.m., nan taxable serviceman stopped his conveyance and stepped out, facing nan man.

The 1 infinitesimal 38 2nd video originates astatine 9:23 p.m. The camera was mounted connected a adjacent home. The video is silent.

The Edmonton Police Service SUV is look successful nan mediate of nan street, lights still activated.

ASIRT said nan man raised his arms to his sides while facing nan officer, who had his weapon drawn, and nan 2 engaged verbally pinch each other. The taxable serviceman fired his weapon astatine nan man, who was deed and dropped to nan ground.

The video, on pinch footage from different angles, confirms that bid of events.

Arkangelo is seen opinionated successful beforehand of nan cruiser pinch his arms raised astatine his sides erstwhile he is hit. One of his arms falls and an entity successful his hands appears to driblet to nan pavement. It’s not clear what it was.

The 28-year-old takes 2 steps backwards and past moves guardant 5 steps. He past stops. It’s not clear if much shots were fired. Arkangelo past stop, lays down connected nan roadworthy and rolls onto his back. For nan adjacent 1:20, he laid connected nan road, occasionally moving his arms and legs.

“I’ve sewage a batch of questions astir what happened here,” said Edmonton criminal defence lawyer Tom Engel, whose believe regularly involves rule enforcement issues and is an outspoken professional of mediocre conduct. He is representing Arkangelo’s family, who he said are grief-stricken and outraged.

At nary constituent betwixt erstwhile nan slug was fired and nan video ends a infinitesimal and 36 seconds later does anyone attack Arkangelo.

Another video from astir 3 minutes aft nan shooting shows respective officers opinionated astir Arkangelo’s assemblage connected nan ground.

ASIRT said he was provided aesculapian attraction astatine immoderate constituent but died arsenic a consequence of gunshot wounds.

“Quite often successful shootings by constabulary that are fatal, they will opportunity successful their media merchandise that nan officers instantly rendered first assistance trying to prevention nan life of nan personification they conscionable shot. Here that did not happen,” Engel said.

Whether that would person made a quality successful redeeming Arkangelo’s life is unclear; Engel said nan aesculapian examiner’s study will supply much answers eventually.

Engel said officers are trained to only sprout erstwhile they judge their life is astatine risk.

“They person to person nan belief that they are nether threat of grievous bodily harm, aliases personification other is nether nan threat of grievous bodily harm earlier they tin shoot. I don’t spot thing for illustration that,” he said, adding he believes kids were playing successful nan neighbourhood astatine nan time.

“Where are those bullets going to go? It’s reckless disregard for nan information of others arsenic well.”

Both Arkangelo’s family and Engel judge nan man had a weapon connected him, which they said he utilized for work. It’s unclear successful nan video what was successful his manus erstwhile it was dropped and ASIRT’s update connected Tuesday did not make reference to immoderate weapons recovered astatine nan scene.

Criminologist Dan Jones utilized to beryllium an Edmonton Police Service serviceman and recovered himself successful situations wherever he could person fired his work weapon, including an incident connected Jasper Avenue wherever a personification was approaching him pinch a knife.

He said galore things spell done an officer’s mind successful those moments. He added officers are trained not to attack an injured personification aliases fishy erstwhile they are unsocial aliases without backup.

There has been an summation successful officer-involved incidents successful caller years: ASIRT released statistic for nan first half of 2024 past week, saying it had 42 caller files — putting nan agency connected gait for its busiest twelvemonth ever.

Jones can’t decidedly opportunity why location has been an summation successful constabulary shootings, but believes it stems from a societal displacement that happened successful nan aftermath of nan 2020 execution of George Floyd — an African American man who was murdered by a achromatic constabulary serviceman successful Minneapolis, Minn.

“This is my conscionable my speculation — location is immoderate investigation to backmost this thought up, though — is arsenic constabulary legitimacy has reduced arsenic a consequence of nan execution of George Floyd and truthful galore different issues, it becomes much acceptable to onslaught nan constabulary because nan constabulary aren’t seen arsenic an arsenic a morganatic powerfulness holder.

Both Engel and Jones opportunity decisions not to prosecute caller high-profile cases successful Edmonton whitethorn person changed nationalist attitudes.

Pacey Dumas was near pinch life-altering injuries aft an serviceman kicked a young man successful nan caput successful December 2020. He was not equipped and had nary criminal history.

Half a twelvemonth later successful June 2021, Steven Nguyen, 33, was fatally changeable by constabulary successful June 2021 while stepping successful a neighbourhood adjacent his location and holding a cellphone constabulary said was mistaken for a gun.

In some cases, ASIRT said location were reasonable grounds to judge an offence was committed. But nan Alberta Crown Prosecutor Service declined to laic charges.

“The Pacey Dumas lawsuit and nan Stephen Nguyen lawsuit wherever ASIRT recommended charges and nary charges were laid — that’s not nan police’s fault, but that reduces constabulary legitimacy,” Jones said.

Dumas is Indigenous and Nguyen was Asian. Arkangelo was Black. Engel said specified incidents further erodes spot successful constabulary amongst communities of immigrants who person moved present from regions wherever rule enforcement was already not viewed favourably.

“In that community, which is predominantly Nigerian practice and East Indian, culturally location is simply a batch of distrust successful that community,” Engel said, adding an thought being explored is having a trusted organization liaison progressive successful helping witnesses unfastened up to ASIRT investigators.

ASIRT’s investigations often return months, if not years, to reason and successful nan meantime, Jones said friends and family are near without immoderate explanations arsenic they grieve nan decease of their loved one.

“Even if that mentation is morganatic and justified, it’s not going to matter 2 years from now. People want to perceive astir it now, but they can’t because nan investigative integrity,” Jones said.

The Edmonton Police Service has said it cannot supply further accusation owed to nan ASIRT probe.