EDMONTON—A veteran RCMP constable was arrested Saturday after his wife’s body was found inside a home in a southeast Edmonton neighbourhood.
Clifton Purvis, a spokesman with the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, which investigates incidents involving police, says officers were called to the home in the Jackson Heights neighbourhood after 4 a.m. MDT to a report of shots being fired.
“We have identified one individual who is deceased. That person is the spouse of the individual we have in custody,” he said. Purvis refused to name the woman or the RCMP officer but said his agency is treating the woman’s death as a homicide. He refused to say how she may have died, adding that an autopsy will be done to help determine that.
Purvis also wouldn’t comment on whether police had seized a weapon in connection with the woman’s death. The 36-year-old constable, who has been with the RCMP for over seven years, was arrested at around 5:30 a.m. at another location, though Purvis wouldn’t say where.
No charges have been laid.
Neighbours said the couple has two young children who were often seen playing in the area, but Purvis said there were no children in the home at the time of the woman’s slaying.
Purvis said the investigation is receiving the oversight agency’s “utmost priority.”
At least eight people have been assigned to look into the case and the agency is also receiving help from homicide investigators with the Edmonton Police Service and the medical examiner’s office, Purvis said.
“We will conduct interviews of all the individuals we have identified that have information that is relevant to the investigation and will continue to take steps to locate witnesses or individuals who have information that might assist the investigation,” he said.
Peter Hourihan, the assistant commissioner in charge of criminal operations with the RCMP, would not comment on whether a police service gun may have been used in the incident.
“This member was not on duty at the time of the homicide. The member did have his service weapon at home because his job required him to have that for operational readiness and on-call purposes,” Hourihan said. “This is in keeping with RCMP policy.”
He said the officer worked in an Edmonton-area detachment in its traffic services division.
Hourihan said the force has been “deeply saddened” by the homicide and extended his condolences to the woman’s family. He said the constable’s two young children are being cared for family members.
Hourihan added that working as a police officer can be a stressful job and it’s important that employees know an assistance program is in place for those who are having personal troubles. “When we are made aware that a member is facing personal challenges, we do our best to make sure that help is available and provided to the employee.”
Speaking generally, the assistant commissioner said that if a member is charged with a serious offence, that person could be suspended without pay.
Yellow police tape surrounded the two-storey home on the normally quiet suburban street on Saturday. Children’s toys, including a skateboard and a hockey net were strewn across the front yard.
Neighbours said the home had recently been listed for sale.
Angie Depner, 38, and her husband Ken watched as police officers blocked off the street. She said one of the boys from the taped-off home is a Grade 3 student at a local elementary school. “I just knew the one little boy. He’s in the same class as my son,” she said.
Depner said residents are shocked that something like this has happened in their neighbourhood.
“It’s upsetting. It’s a pretty quiet neighbourhood,” she said. “When you can put a face to one of the family members, it’s sad.”
Other neighbours said they heard several loud banging noises early Saturday morning.
“I heard like ‘bang, bang’, seven to eight times,” Vikas Kwatra told CTV Edmonton. “I was just thinking it was a neighbour early in the morning, nailing something, maybe nailing the fence.” Kwatra said he saw the Mountie walking outside his home on Friday night. He described him as looking upset while talking on his cell phone.
Other neighbours said they’re shocked something like this could happen, especially involving a member of the RCMP. “He seemed like a very pleasant person,” said Hilda Shaw.
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