EDMONTON - Alberta's police watchdog says a retired RCMP officer has been charged six years after shooting a man in the face.

The officer is facing one count of aggravated assault and has been released before a court date next month in Red Deer.

Mounties previously told the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, or ASIRT, that the issue began when they were tipped off about stolen oilfield property on the north side of Eckville, west of Red Deer.

While checking four vehicles parked behind a business strip, an officer found a man sleeping in a pickup truck that had been stolen from Saskatoon almost one week prior.

RCMP told ASIRT the officer called for backup and laid down a spike belt, but there was an altercation and the man was shot in the cheek, sending him to hospital with serious injuries.

It's not known when the officer retired, but investigators say no further details will be released as the matter is now before the courts.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2025.