Alberta police watchdog clears RCMP in shooting of triple homicide suspect

EDSON, Alta. –Alberta’s police watchdog has cleared RCMP of criminal wrongdoing in the shooting of a homicide suspect west of Edmonton.

On Dec. 1, 2015, a Mountie shot Mickell Bailey in the head during a search of a rural property near Edson.

The executive director of the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team says on that date a Mountie shot a man after he walked out of a home carrying a rifle and fired toward two police officers.

Susan Hughson says after reviewing the investigation there is no evidence to suggest the RCMP did anything wrong.

Bailey recovered from his wound and faces two counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder in the deaths of Dan Miller, Roxanne Berube, and Jazmine Miller, her 16-year-old daughter.

Hughson declined to release more details as the case is before the courts and she does not name Bailey in her press release.

Bailey is to appear in Stony Plain court for a preliminary hearing on March 13.

“Based on the evidence obtained, the 19-year-old man fired upon the officers,” Hughson said Tuesday.

“In these circumstances it was more than reasonable to believe, subjectively and objectively, that the two officers in the line of fire were at risk of death or grievous bodily harm and that the use of lethal force was necessary.”

Following the shooting RCMP said they found more than 30 firearms at the property, some of them loaded.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team investigates actions involving police that result in serious injuries or death, as well as allegations of police misconduct.