On September 13, 2019, at approximately 9:47 AM members of the Medicine Hat Police Service (MHPS) received a call from Alberta Fish and Wildlife who were notified by a member of the public about an injured deer in the 500 block of 3^rd Street NW. As Fish and Wildlife did not have officers available to respond they requested that the MHPS attend and assess the situation. Upon arrival, members found a young deer who had suffered extensive injuries, believed to be the result of a vehicle collision.

Officers observed one of the animal’s legs had been severed and two others were severely fractured. Due to the severity of the injuries, the officers determined the deer was mortally wounded and the most humane action would be to euthanize. As the deer was located in close proximity to multiple residences the use of a firearm was determined to not be an option. As such, the officer concluded that the safest way to end the animal’s suffering would be to use a knife.

Prior to proceeding, the officers attempted to contact surrounding residents to advise them of the occurrence, and placed a barrier to obscure the view from the public, as they understood it would be traumatic to any witnesses.

Once the animal was confirmed deceased, the officers removed the remains and cleaned the area. They once again reached out to neighbors to inform them of what had occurred in an effort to avoid further trauma.

The MHPS is aware of a video that is circulating on social media of this incident and understand that it is disturbing. The MHPS supports the actions of the involved officers, who took the matter very seriously and attempted to mitigate the trauma to the injured deer and the public as much as possible.

Media Contact:

Rita Sittler
Administrative Services Manager
Medicine Hat Police Service
PH; 403-529-8416