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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
There will be no criminal charges filed against RCMP officers involved in the shooting death of Yellowknife resident Karen Lander, the Medicine Hat Police Services has determined.

There will be no criminal charges filed against RCMP officers involved in the shooting death of Yellowknife resident Karen Lander, the Medicine Hat Police Services has determined. - NNSL file photo

Lander, 42, was outside a home on Glick Court on March 14 as she walked toward police while brandishing a long-barrelled rifle. She had been repeatedly told to put the rifle down and surrender but she refused. Police then fired shots, according to Yellowknife RCMP at the time.

Because the shooting involved Yellowknife RCMP officers, a third-party team from the Medicine Hat, Alta., was tasked with investigating the incident.

Provincial Crown prosecutors were consulted and determined no charges should be filed, said Sgt. Jason Graham with the Medicine Hat Police Services.

"The lawyers here have reviewed the file and they believe that the actions from those officers was necessary and that no criminal charges against those officers of any wrongdoing will come out of it," he said.

Lander, originally from Kugluktuk, had barricaded herself in the home earlier in the day and police attempted to diffuse the situation with a critical incident team of crisis negotiators, emergency response team members and a mental health professional.

Graham said the report, although not public, has been handed to the Yellowknife RCMP and the NWT Coroner's Pffice.

Cathy Menard, chief coroner for the NWT, said a decision hasn't yet been made on whether there will be a coroner's inquest into the incident.

"We're continue our portion of the investigation. A decision hasn't been made. Hopefully we'll be making some determinations in the next month or so," she said Thursday.

Inquests are formal court proceedings, with a jury, held to publicly review the circumstances of a death. No one is on trial, according to the Department of Justice website. The purpose of the inquest is to "bring out the facts relating to the circumstances of the death in a fair and balanced way and allow the jury to make useful and practical recommendations that may prevent similar deaths."

Yellowknife RCMP declined to comment.

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