An Okotoks SPCA peace officer has been assigned to an investigation of a deer being repeatedly run over by a Lethbridge police officer.
“A peace officer from our Okotoks office has been assigned to the file and will be given full access to the investigation and will be in a position to make suggestions to ASIRT [Alberta Serious Incident Response Team] on how the file should proceed,” said Dan Kobe, communications manager for the Alberta SPCA. “Alberta Fish and Wildlife has been asked to participate in a similar capacity [to the SPCA].”
A Lethbridge woman recorded a video on Jan. 5 of an on-duty police officer using a police truck to repeatedly run over an injured deer, eventually stopping on top of the animal. The video lasts almost 15 minutes, causing widespread public criticism against the officer for what many to believe to be a display of animal cruelty.
The incident is being investigated by ASIRT, the Province’s civilian oversight agency responsible for investigating incidents involving police that
resulted in serious injury or death, or serious allegations of misconduct.
Initially, Kobe said the SPCA would not be investigating the incident, as the organization is responsible only for livestock and pets.
However, the Alberta SPCA announced on Jan. 9 it was asked by ASIRT to assist in the investigation in a consultative or liaison capacity due to their experience and expertise with matters relating to the Animal Protection Act.
Previously, the Alberta SPCA condemned the Lethbridge officer’s methods.
“As an organization, the Alberta SPCA would expect that any animal, if it’s injured and needs to be put down, it would be euthanized in a humane way,” said Kobe in a press release after the initial publication of the video earlier this month.
“Certainly, looking at that video, I think everyone can agree that was not a humane way to put down that deer and it’s disappointing to see that’s the method that was chosen to put the deer down.”
Lethbridge police chief Robert Davis said standard policy for euthanizing an injured animal is through use of a firearm, and hopes the ASIRT investigation can identify any gaps in that policy that may have led to this officer making a different choice.
The officer involved will remain assigned to active duties until the investigation is complete.
The Okotoks SPCA office serves as a home base for officers in the area to conduct their work and keep records, and works with the offices in Innisfail and in Northern Alberta, as well as the head office in Edmonton.
The Okotoks SPCA officer’s name has not been released, as is standard practice for SPCA investigations.
