Alberta’s police watchdog has determined that the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old Indigenous teenager south of Edmonton was not deemed criminal, and the two RCMP officers involved in the incident will not face charges. The boy, identified as Hoss Lightning by his family, was tragically killed in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, on the early morning of August 30, 2024. Hoss Lightning was a member of the Samson Cree Nation from Maskwacis, located approximately 20 kilometers south of where the shooting took place.
The incident, which resulted in the loss of Hoss Lightning’s life, deeply impacted his community and added to the series of deaths of Indigenous individuals at the hands of law enforcement, prompting calls for a national inquiry. According to the Alberta Serious Response Incident Team (ASIRT) investigation, the RCMP officers discharged their firearms up to 17 times at the teenager as he approached one of them in a field, holding his arm in a backpack in a manner that appeared to be pointing a gun.
Hoss Lightning succumbed to a gunshot wound to the chest, and despite surrendering a machete and a knife to one of the officers earlier, no firearms were found in his possession. ASIRT’s acting executive director, Matthew Block, stated that while the events were tragic, they did not constitute criminal actions, as the officers could argue that their use of force was necessary for self-defense.
A statement from Samson Cree Nation Coun. Izaiah Swampy-Omeasoo, representing Hoss’s family, criticized the ASIRT report as biased and contradictory, causing further distress to the family and eroding trust in the entities responsible for public safety and accountability. The family expressed gratitude for the support received and highlighted their belief in traditional methods for seeking justice.
The ASIRT report revealed that Lightning had called 911, expressing concerns about being followed and threatened by individuals he believed were affiliated with the Hell’s Angels. The responding RCMP officer, informed that Lightning was reported missing by the Edmonton Police Service, encountered the teenager near a McDonald’s in Wetaskiwin, where Lightning disclosed possessing a machete and a knife.
The officer learned from a police database search that Lightning had cognitive impairments equivalent to a nine-year-old’s level. Despite attempts to contact a family member, the situation escalated when Lightning resisted being patted down and appeared to brandish a gun from his backpack. Subsequently, a series of events unfolded, leading to the fatal shooting of Hoss Lightning by the RCMP officers.
The ASIRT report detailed the unfolding of events through recordings and officer statements, emphasizing the challenging circumstances faced by law enforcement in making split-second decisions in high-pressure situations. The officers, upon perceiving a threat to their safety, discharged their firearms, resulting in Lightning’s tragic demise. The report underscored the officers’ actions as reasonable given the evolving and tense nature of the encounter.
Following the shooting, emergency medical assistance was summoned, and Lightning was transported to the hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The incident sparked outcry and raised questions about police conduct and the treatment of Indigenous individuals in the criminal justice system.
