SASKATOON – Saskatoon Police Service have completed their investigation into the RCMP shooting death of Trent Angus earlier this year.
Trent Angus was shot and killed by RCMP on Feb. 27 during a raid on an industrial building in Waseca, which is approximately 42 kilometres east of Lloydminster. The RCMP Act requires that an investigation be conducted by an external agency when an incident involves a death or serious injury so the Saskatchewan RCMP requested that Saskatoon Police conduct an independent, external investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.
“The SPS investigation into the RCMP’s use-of-force has concluded; as is consistent with any similar investigation, it has been sent to the province for review,” SPS spokesperson Joshua Grella told SASKTODAY.ca in an email Tuesday.
“Legislation in Saskatchewan also requires there to be a coroner’s inquest; however, I do not have the details of when that will take place,” added Grella.
SPS sent their investigation to the province on May 10.
The Coroners Service haven't received the final reports yet from various agencies, Marieka Andrew, spokesperson for Coroners Service told SASKTODAY.ca in an email Wednesday.
“When the reports are received a decision on an inquest will be made,” said Andrew.
Angus was shot and killed by RCMP after police raided a commercial building when they executed a search warrant in Waseca just before midnight Feb. 26. According to the RCMP, the Battlefords RCMP Gang Task Force executed the search warrant at the industrial property along Highway 16 on the Yellowhead following a four-month investigation into drug and weapons trafficking in west-central Saskatchewan. Police say that cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and firearms were being trafficked in and around North Battleford.
RCMP say that based on information, they believed there was a significant risk to the public and police safety so the Saskatchewan RCMP Critical Incident Response Team was deployed to assist with the search warrant. Two men and one woman exited the building but a fourth person stayed inside and wouldn’t comply with police commands, according to the RCMP. When he exited the building, he still wouldn’t comply with police commands so they used non-lethal methods to get him to comply but officers said they saw him display a firearm and gunfire was exchanged. An RCMP officer received a non-life-threatening injury during the incident.
At the time of his death, Trent Angus was wanted by Cut Knife RCMP for a firearms complaint on Little Pine First Nation on Nov. 28, 2021. Police issued a warrant for his arrest and charged him with discharging a firearm, pointing a firearm, possession of a firearm knowing unauthorized, and failing to comply with a release order.
Investigation looked into contact with family
The SPS investigation included actions beyond the incident itself, and looked into notification of next of kin and utilization of victim services.
In February, Trent Angus’ older sister Lori-Ann Angus told SASKTODAY.ca that added distress was placed on the family by how they perceive they were treated by police.
“They didn’t even notify the family. My mom had to call.”
The day after the shooting, Trent Angus’ mother heard on the news that there was an incident at an industrial building in Waseca. Knowing her son’s shop was there, she called the police and that’s how she found out her son was killed, said Lori-Ann Angus.
“I wonder when they would have told us if my mom hadn’t called,” said Lori-Ann Angus.
She also said the police promised to come to their mother’s home to speak with the family but never showed.
“They said they were gonna come and talk to the family at my mom's place. We waited there all day. Nobody showed up to come and try and tell us what happened.”
Lori-Ann Angus told SASKTODAY.ca that they had to have a closed casket service due to his injuries.
“We all just broke down and cried. My brother didn’t deserve to lose his life in such a way. They didn’t have to do that.”
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Story updated to say SPS forwarded their investigation to the province on May 10.
