Police officers fatally shot a man named Jeremy Stephens, 32 years old. SIRT is investigating the incident. SIRT is a serious response Team. It is a civilian oversight agency that investigates incidents that involves police.
Deadly ordeal
According to a report, it stated that a few hours earlier the Summerside police were running after suspects in a motel robbery and ended at a home in Summerside. They arrested one suspect outside and provided first aid due to his injuries. The police officers entered the house. They began looking for Stephens. The officers went inside a darkened, unfinished and cluttered basement. Furthermore it stated that the visibility in the basement was very poor due to the planned power outrage in the city at the time of the incident. The windows were very small and with coverings to prevent light from getting in.
The officers used small flashlight to look for Stephens. Eventually they found the suspect. When the police called the suspect to come out and show his hand, Stephens did not comply. He just told the officers to kill him. He fought against the officers. He used a golf club and swung it at the head of the officer but it was not hit. The police fired about six rounds on Stephens and he fell to the ground. The policemen handcuffed the victim and they immediately provided first-aid treatment. One officer used his duty belt and placed it on the injured leg of Stephens as a tourniquet.
Furthermore the report stated that the officers carried Stephens out of the basement, but the suspect insisted that he will walk out on his own. The man walked to the police car without assistance. The ambulance was called after 20 minutes but because of the delay and severity of his injuries, the policemen decided to bring the suspect to the county hospital using the police car. When they arrived at the hospital, he got out of the car on his own and just lay down on the stretcher. He was further treated for his injuries and died after seven hours.
The police knew that Stephens was armed with a knife during the robbery in the motel and put it in throat of his victim.
According to a toxicology report after the death of Stephens, they found presence of amphetamine, a high level of methamphetamine and THC in his body. This irrational and violent behavior of Stephens is observed in people with high concentration of this drug in their body. The Summerside policemen had the right in using lethal force against the suspect. There are no grounds to consider in charging the police officers and their actions are justified at law.
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