Officers who killed Edmonton man with stray bullet won't be charged: police watchdog

Officers won't be charged

Photo: The Canadian Press

Edmonton Police Service shoulder badge in Edmonton on Aug. 1, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Alberta's police watchdog says officers who unknowingly shot and killed an innocent man with a stray bullet won't face charges.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team says the three officers were chasing a robbery suspect in 2022 when they fired several bullets, including some that went into a downtown apartment building.

The suspect was killed, and police later discovered James Hanna also died after a bullet that went through a window struck him in the chest as he sat in front of his TV.

ASIRT executive director Michael Ewenson says the man's death was "extremely unfortunate and tragic," but the officers were defending themselves from imminent harm.

He says questions about whether the man's death could have been prevented are not within the agency's mandate and could be dealt with through another process, like a fatality inquiry.

Hanna's sister has said his death was senseless and negligent.