January 10, 2017. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team has released more details on the RCMP action that led to the death of Ralph Stephens, 27, of the Stoney Nakoda Nation.
Stephens died in hospital on Jan. 7. He was shot while RCMP attempted to serve three Canada-wide arrest warrants for first degree murder in the homicide death of Lorenzo “Billy” Bearspaw, 27, also of the Stoney Nakoda Nation. Ralph Stephens was named on one of those warrants.
In a release issued Monday, ASIRT outlined the action that had taken place leading up to the shooting of Ralph Stephens. However, ASIRT did not name Stephens or anyone else involved in the incident.
According to ASIRT’s outline, RCMP entered a home on the Nation, immediately locating and apprehending John Stephens, 29, also a subject of a warrant. Officers then entered the basement and were fired upon. They deployed tear gas, retreated, and evacuated any one still left on the main floor of the house.
Ralph Stephens, allegedly carrying a shotgun, and a woman climbed out of the basement window. A confrontation ensued with police and shots were fired. Stephens was seriously injured. He was transported to hospital where he died about an hour later. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday morning.
ASIRT said its investigation will focus on “whether the conduct of the involved officer caused the death of the man and, if so, whether that conduct constituted a criminal offence.”
ASIRT has already spoken to a number of witnesses to the event but is asking anyone who may have information, and in particular, anyone who might have been in the basement of the residence, to contact ASIRT at (403) 592-4306.
ASIRT’s mandate is to investigate incidents involving Alberta’s police that have resulted in serious injury or death to any person, as well as serious or sensitive allegations of police misconduct.