Canadian Politics Today

An Edmonton police constable who kicked an Indigenous teenager in the head — leaving him with life-altering injuries — won't face criminal charges even though Alberta's police watchdog says the officer displayed a "shocking lack of judgment and disregard" for the teen's life.

According to an investigative report released by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team Thursday, the agency had asked the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service to consider laying excessive force charges against the officer, but the Crown declined to prosecute.

The officer, armed with a carbine rifle, acted in a "hasty and violent" manner, ASIRT executive director Michael Ewenson said in the report.

"While the law allows police to use force during an arrest in appropriate circumstances, using a life-altering kick directly to the head of this [person] as a first resort cannot be supported," the report said.

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According to the ASIRT report, EPS officers were responding to a 911 call about a fight, and a man armed with a knife.

Four officers who responded surrounded the Dumas family home and told everyone to come outside. Dumas got down on his hands and knees and began to crawl "on his belly" toward the officers, as directed, the ASIRT report said.

Dumas began to reach into his pockets or waistband, the report said. The subject officer told investigators that he repeatedly asked Dumas to show his hands but he didn't comply.

He warned him that if he didn't take his hands of out his pockets, "he would kick him the face," ASIRT said in the report.