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The provincial police watchdog has been called to investigate the circumstances around serious injuries that were sustained after a Grande Prairie RCMP cruiser was driven into a suspect on a bicycle.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) was called to investigate on April 24, the same day the altercation occurred, said a news release from the agency issued Tuesday.
Grande Prairie RCMP responded to information of two suspicious men near 108 Avenue and 99 Street around 3:10 a.m. The men had a large square safe, that police determined was stolen, strapped to one of their bikes.
The man dragging the safe was detained but the other man fled, ASIRT said.
An additional cruiser was called to the scene, found the man near 107 Avenue between 99 Street and 98 Street and the driver activated their lights as they chased the suspect. The man on the bike left the road and drove across a residential lawn. The officer continued to follow and crashed his vehicle into the suspect in the side yard of a home.
ASIRT said the man sustained serious injuries and EMS was called to the scene for assistance. He was taken to hospital where he remains in stable condition.
ASIRT will be investigating the actions of RCMP members to determine if they were lawful.
The RCMP will continue to lead the investigation into the two men. RCMP issued a release over the weekend saying an internal review process will be conducted separate from the ASIRT investigation.
Grande Prairie is approximately 460 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.