A city police officer who fatally shot a man with a hunting knife during a traffic stop was cleared of any wrongdoing. Vitaly Saving, 55-years old was shot dead in southwest Edmonton after a confrontation with an officer. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) released the findings of the investigation.
Finding the truth
According to executive director Susan Hughson, based on the evidence, it was clear that the conduct of the man presented a real risk of death to the officer.
Savin was shot 4 times after he fell on top of the officer who had slipped on the snow while backing away from the knife-wielding man. ASIRT found the officer’s use of deadly force was permissible and did not constitute a criminal offence.
The incident started when the police received several 911 calls regarding a driver of a minivan who was driving erratically near 149 Street. The police were told that the van struck a curb and a snowbank and was swerving all over the road, almost colliding with other vehicles.
The van later turned into a residential area in southwest Edmonton. A lone Edmonton police officer in a marked SUV pulled up to the scene on Holland Landing. Both Savin and the officer got out of their vehicles. The officer was a 6-year veteran of the police service who told investigators that the man appeared drunk. The officer informed the man he was under arrest for impaired driving.
The situation deteriorated rapidly. When asked to show his hands, Savin produced a 10-inch hunting knife. While the officer was backing away from the man, he slipped on the snow-covered road. At that point, Savin fell on top of the officer who kicked him away. When the man advanced again, the officer fired 4 shots from his pistol. The officer attempted to keep the man alive with CPR until other officers arrived.
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