Calgary senior's mental and physical health deteriorated in months before fatal police shooting
In the months before he was fatally shot by police after trying to kill his grandson and take his own life, a 76-year-old man's mental and physical health began deteriorating, according to investigators.
On Friday, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) announced it had cleared the Calgary police officer who shot and killed the senior.
CBC News has agreed not to name the man, at his family's request.
Police had been called to a southeast home after a 911 call was made by the man's 20-year-old grandson. At first, the dispatcher could hear only screaming, but then the young man explained his grandfather was trying to kill him with a hammer.
Investigators would later find suicide notes in the man's home, including one that described a plan to attack his grandson with a hammer and then kill himself by carbon monoxide poisoning inside his garage.
A journal was also recovered "detailing [his] mounting frustration with aspects of his life — his health, continuing conflict in his home and the deterioration of his relationship with his grandson," said ASIRT director Sue Hughson.
When police arrived at the home, the young man who had called 911 was on the front lawn, bloodied and suffering a head injury.
Their attention was then drawn to the detached garage by the sound of a table saw that had been turned on. After forcing open the pedestrian door, they found an older man inside with an idling vehicle, which had a dryer hose running from the exhaust pipe into a window of the vehicle.
"What happened next occurred in a matter of seconds," said Hughson.
'Nicest guy ever'
The senior was holding a large knife and refused repeated commands to drop it. One of the officers tripped and fell down when he tried to step back to create distance.
The other officer fired one shot from his service pistol. Officers and paramedics administered first aid but the man died at the scene.
After interviewing those who knew him, investigators learned the man's personality had begun changing in the months before the shooting, though there was no formal diagnosis.
"Information obtained by ASIRT suggested this event was totally out of character for this man," Hughson said.
At the time, neighbours in Sundance expressed shock, describing him as "the nicest guy ever."
ASIRT concluded that the officer's use of force was reasonable given the circumstances
"The situation faced by the officers upon entering the garage was capable of giving rise to a reasonable fear of death or grievous bodily harm to both officers," according to ASIRT.
When the officer tripped, his partner had fewer courses of action and the "imminence of the threat increased."
ASIRT met with the family on Friday. They have asked for privacy.
