By Canadian Press

august 2024

Police watchdog clears officers who shot, killed Maskwacis teen in Wetaskiwin area

Nov 6, 2025 | 4:11 PM

Alberta’s police watchdog says two RCMP officers who shot and killed a teenage boy (in Wetaskiwin) after he called them for help won’t be charged.

Hoss Lightning, who was 15, died in August 2024 after telling a 911 dispatcher he was being followed by people trying to kill him.

The watchdog says RCMP found Lightning with weapons, including a machete and knife, and officers were arresting him so he could be taken to a group home.

They say the boy refused to let an officer search his backpack and tried to intimidate an officer before running away into a nearby field.

Investigators say there was a fight and the boy was shot in the chest, and was pronounced dead in hospital.

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The shooting has drawn calls for police reform and better de-escalation training from politicians and leaders from Samson Cree Nation, where the boy lived.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2025.

The full report from the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) can be read here.

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READ MORE

• Family of Maskwacis teen killed by RCMP last week shares grief
• ASIRT investigating after police shooting kills 15-year-old from Samson Cree Nation