(Photo Credit: Alberta Serious Incident Response Team)

By Nathaniel Leigh

RCMP

ASIRT finds no offences committed in death of man in RCMP custody

Sep 17, 2025 | 2:04 PM

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team has released the findings from their investigation into the death of a man while in Grande Prairie RCMP custody.

On June 3, 2022 around 2:00 a.m. RCMP arrested a man for mischief after he had called, reporting people breaking into his residence, but later admitted to using cocaine after Mounties found no sign of attempted or forced entry.

According to the report, the man was cooperative and placed in a holding cell at approximately 2:25 a.m., pacing for several hours before collapsing into a prone position around 8:20 a.m. after hitting his head repeatedly on the cell door frame.

When an officer attempted to rouse the man around 10:52 a.m. they found him unresponsive and began CPR, calling EMS who declared the man dead around 11:17 a.m.

ASIRT’s investigation determined the man was already deceased by the time RCMP attempted to rouse him and that, while there were issues of care to be considered while the man was in the cell, the report determines there are no grounds to believe an offence was committed by any of the officers involved.

Click here to read ASIRT’s full report.

The family of the deceased have identified him as Addison Hartzler and have released a statement expressing their outrage at the lack of charges against the officers involved.

The statement reads in part:

“We are horrified by the findings outlined in the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) report and by the decision of the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service (ACPS) to not proceed with charges in this case.

“When someone is detained in police custody, the individual and the public expects that they will be protected and cared for. The details of Addison’s final moments are tragic.

“It breaks our hearts that our loved one was left face down on the floor for two and a half hours before any action was taken.

“Systemic changes are urgently needed, both provincially and nationally to prevent other families from experiencing what we have had to endure.

“We call on the public, elected officials, and Alberta Justice to demand a full, independent review of this investigation. It is our belief that the investigation did not fully canvass the issues.

“Not a day goes by that we do not feel the weight of losing Addison. His absence reminds us of the love, joy, and faith he brought into our lives. Addison lived courageously, embracing life fully. Our lasting memories of him and our life together continue to bring us joy.”