At least seven people were killed in police actions in Canada in December 2024. This brings the total number of people killed in police actions to at least 100 for the year. These deaths include people who were directly killed by police, as in police shootings, and people who died during police deployments or in police custody. There were at least 97 police-involved deaths in Canada in 2023, while in 2022, there were at least 117 police-involved deaths.

At least nine people were killed by Canadian police in November 2024. At least five people were killed by police in October and at least a dozen people were killed in police actions in September. Thirteen people were killed in police actions in August 2024. That was the deadliest month of police violence in 2024 and the deadliest since September 2022, when 13 people were also killed. At least seven people were killed in police actions in July 2024, nine people were killed in June, seven people in May, 11 people in April, 11 people in March, five people in February, and four people in January 2024.

Two of the victims in December were shot by police. Two were killed in police pursuits. One died in a fall during an attempted Mental Health Act arrest, one died in police custody, and one died during an arrest.

Three of the victims have been identified publicly: Rene "Jumbo" Fiddler, a White Bear First Nation man; Fabian Skani, a Cold Lake First Nations man; and Shawn Morris.

The details below are based on police reports, reports from oversight agencies, and in some cases information from families. As always, because there are no formal, systemic mechanisms for documenting and reporting police killings publicly in Canada, all numbers presented for police-involved deaths represent an undercount. In addition to the known cases, there are instances of police-involved deaths that have no reporting. For example, the Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) lists one death involving RCMP in Osoyoos on December 24 which was closed without any public report.

 

December 4. Vancouver Police. Shooting.

Vancouver Police Department (VPD) officers shot and killed a man inside a 7-Eleven convenience store at the intersection of Robson and Hamilton streets around noon on December 4. It is reported that police were responding to a call to the area just after 11:30 AM when a nearby restaurant, Original Joe’s, called 911 to report that a man with a knife had stolen alcohol. Two people were reportedly wounded in the 7-Eleven. One is said to have been stabbed, the other suffered an undisclosed injury. Those injuries are not life threatening.

Video taken by a food delivery worker at the scene shows some of the incident. In it, at least three police officers are seen inside the store pointing their weapons at someone who is not visible on the other side of the checkout counter. The counter appears to form a barrier separating the man from police. One officer reloads a Taser with its cables already deployed, while at least one other officer holds what appears to be his service weapon. An officer can be heard yelling “move over” twice before there is a loud noise and a scream, followed by what sounds like 11 gunshots.

Video shows one wave of police fire while the man is standing. Then, after the man has been hit and fallen to the ground, one officer steps forward, leans over the counter, and fires at least six more shots at the stricken man.

In a statement hours later and before any statement by the IIO, VPD said: “The suspect was shot by police and taken into custody. VPD officers and other first responders administered first aid to the suspect, who was taken to hospital and later died.”

 

December 4. Shawn Morris. Ontario Provincial Police. Pursuit.

A man, later identified as Shawn Morris (35) died on December 4, after being involved in a collision while fleeing Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) north of London on November 30. At least one local media outlet has reported that there was some type of police pursuit and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is investigating.

It is reported that an OPP officer attempted to stop a man for a driving-related offence on Highway 4 in Arva, Ontario, just before 11 PM.  Moments later, the driver’s vehicle collided with another vehicle on the highway.

The driver suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash and died days later in hospital. A man and a woman in the second vehicle were taken to hospital with unspecified injuries. One person remains in life-threatening condition while the third victim is in serious condition.

The SIU reports that one officer has been designated as the subject officer in the investigation.

 

December 13. Rene “Jumbo” Fiddler. Carlyle RCMP. Custody.

The Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) is investigating the death of Rene “Jumbo” Fiddler, a 49-year-old man from White Bear First Nation, in a Carlyle RCMP Detachment cell on December 13. It is reported that at around 12:20 AM, Carlyle RCMP responded to a report of an assault on White Bear First Nation where two injured people – a man and a woman – were found in a home. The man reportedly suffered serious injuries, and the woman had non-life-threatening injuries. Both were taken to hospital.

A 49-year-old man was arrested without incident on scene and taken to the Carlyle Detachment where he was detained in the detachment cells. Police claim that at around 9 AM, an officer saw that the man was in medical distress. He was provided with first aid until EMS arrived. He was later pronounced dead by EMS. Community members later identified him as Rene “Jumbo” Fiddler.

 

December 14. Fabian Skani. Alberta RCMP. Shooting.

Alberta RCMP shot and killed Fabian Skani, a Cold Lake First Nations man, in Cold Lake on the evening of December 14. Mr. Skani was identified publicly by his brother, Farron Atkinson, who also says that he and his brother were Sixties Scoop survivors. He says that Mr. Skani had been adopted as a child.

It is reported that RCMP were called around 8 PM regarding an alleged attempted stabbing at a bus stop at 50 Street and 43 Avenue in the city which is about 295 kilometers northeast of Edmonton.

RCMP claim officers found a man with an “edged weapon” and shot him. He was taken to hospital, where he died of his injuries. No one else was injured.

No other details are available at this time including why police shot Mr. Skani or how they interacted with him before shooting him. Police claims have not been confirmed publicly.

 

December 19. London Police Service. Mental Health Act Arrest. Fall.

Ontario’s SIU is investigating the death of a 74-year-old man in a fall during an attempted Mental Health Act arrest on December 19. They report that at approximately 12:46 PM, London Police Service (LPS) officers were deployed to an apartment on Pomeroy Lane to arrest a man under the Mental Health Act. Two LPS officers knocked on the door and attempted to make contact. At some point the man fell from a balcony to the ground below. Paramedics were called and the man was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The SIU has assigned three investigators and two forensic investigators to examine the death.

 

December 23. Alberta RCMP. Arrest.

A man died when Telford RCMP officers tried to arrest him on outstanding warrants at a rural home in Beaver County, southeast of Edmonton, on December 23. An emergency response team from Edmonton was also deployed at the scene. Police reportedly established containment and notified nearby residents. RCMP have said that the man was fatally injured during an interaction but have provided no other details.

 

December 26. Calgary Police. Pursuit.

A nine-year-old girl was killed in Calgary on December 26, in a collision during a police pursuit. It is reported that the crash occurred at about 9:50 AM at the intersection of Macleod Trail and Southland Drive Southeast.

Police claim that investigators believe a minivan that had been stolen was travelling north on Macleod Trail, driving erratically, weaving in and out of traffic. They also claimed the driver of the minivan was a suspect in a pharmacy robbery that police were called to at about 9 AM, in which a pharmacist was allegedly assaulted.

Police confirm that there was a police pursuit of the minivan, but because of the erratic and unsafe way it was being driven, the ground pursuit was suspended. However, the vehicle was followed by a police helicopter throughout.

The minivan reportedly failed to stop at a red light and proceeded through the intersection at a high rate of speed, striking an SUV and a car. The driver and two passengers of the car were taken to hospital in life-threatening condition. One of the passengers, a nine-year-old girl, later died of her injuries. The other passenger was also a child, and that victim remains in hospital in critical condition. The drivers of the two vehicles that were hit also remain in hospital in stable condition.

Alberta’s police watchdog (the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, ASIRT) quickly decided “that the actions of the involved officers did not directly contribute to the collision.” They have decided not to investigate further. No explanation has been provided by ASIRT on this determination despite a police pursuit having been undertaken on ground and continued in air.

The driver being pursued was arrested by police and charged with one count of robbery, one count of theft of a motor vehicle, one count of flight from a police officer, one count of dangerous driving, one count of dangerous driving causing death, one count of operating a vehicle without a license, one count of operating a vehicle without registration, one count of operating a vehicle without insurance and three counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.

Jeff Shantz is a long-time anti-authoritarian organizer, researcher, and writer who lives and works on Kwantlen, Katzie, and Semiahmoo territories (Surrey, British Columbia).

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