ASIRT clears Edmonton officer after man sustained brain bleed during arrest

The report said police acted lawfully in their duties to preserve the peace and that the evidence provided by the man was unreliable

An Edmonton police officer who applied force while arresting a man, leading to a brain bleed along with face scrapes and cuts, has been cleared of any wrongdoing by the province’s police watchdog. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team released a report on Wednesday of its decision not to pursue charges against the officer who performed a takedown while arresting the man back in October 2025. The five-page report said the man had approached a police vehicle occupied by two officers, including the officer in question, and another person in their custody.

The man appeared to be intoxicated and refused to leave the area when asked. The officer left the vehicle and told the man he was under arrest for public intoxication. The man resisted while being handcuffed, leading the officer to perform a takedown, in which the man’s head struck the ground, and he lost consciousness.

EMS took the man to the University of Alberta hospital, where he was assessed and treated for a brain bleed, along with cuts and scrapes to his face. ASIRT said medical records show the man was discharged five days later, after declining a recommended procedure to relieve the bleeding, and his repeated efforts to leave the hospital against the wishes of medical staff. The report noted the man had also sustained a severe traumatic brain injury the previous year when a vehicle collided with him.

The report’s decision relied on interviews with the man, his sister, a police witness, and video footage from a nearby business, which captured the entire incident. Due to a language barrier with the man in question, ASIRT required an interpreter. The report said police acted lawfully in their duties to preserve the peace and that the evidence provided by the man was unreliable.

His account of the incident, which included allegations of assault and use of a weapon, was deemed to be inconsistent with the video evidence. It also found the man had sustained the injuries due to the force of his own weight, and not force applied by the police officer. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber.

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