RCMP face no charges in fatal shooting of Yellowknife woman

An external police investigation has determined there will be no charges laid against Yellowknife RCMP in the shooting death of Karen Lander.

After barricading herself in a home, Lander, 42, was shot and killed by police when she charged them with a gun in March.

Minutes after the stand-off, Medicine Hat City Police were contacted to investigate the RCMP’s actions. Investigators arrived in Yellowknife the next day.

More than seven months later, the independent investigation has found there are no grounds for criminal charges against any member of the RCMP involved in the shooting.

"Our job was just to come in and determine whether there were any criminal actions involved," said Sgt. Brent Secondiak with the Medicine Hat police. "At this point there may or may not be a coroner's review from the chief coroner."

Along with gathering forensics at the scene, Medicine Hat police also took statements from RCMP officers and people who had spoken with Lander in the days leading up to her death.

Medicine Hat police will not release specifics on their probe, but they say several Yellowknife officers were investigated.

Their documents have been turned over to the office of Cathy Menard, the chief coroner of the Northwest Territories.

Menard said it will take time to review the information. She said she should know by December whether there will be an inquest into Lander's death.

Public inquests result in recommendations on how to prevent similar deaths from happening in the future.