No charges in stabbing death of 13-year-old at Edmonton LRT station

Emily Rae Pasiuk · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 04, 2025 1:57 PM EST | Last Updated: March 5

Edmonton constabulary say they volition not laic charges successful the February decease of 13-year-old Eric Omeasoo at the MacEwan LRT station because grounds shows the stabbing was successful self-defence.

"Homicide investigators consulted with the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service regarding the anticipation of laying charges successful the Feb. 5, 2025, decease of the 13-year-old male, and person determined that determination is nary likelihood of condemnation owed to grounds that the execution was committed successful self-defence," constabulary said successful a quality merchandise Tuesday.

"As such, nary charges volition beryllium laid successful narration to the youth's death."

CBC News asked the Edmonton Police Service for clarification connected Omeasoo's engagement successful the alleged assault.

"We recognize the tragic circumstances of this death, and our hearts spell retired to the family," EPS said successful a statement.

"Homicide investigators met with the household to reply their questions, and Crime and Trauma-informed Support Services person been provided to enactment the household arsenic they grieve."

Omeasoo's aunt Chastity Phillips told CBC that the household was ne'er offered immoderate benignant of counselling services by police, and were alternatively offered idiosyncratic to serve as a go-between oregon middleperson betwixt the household and police. 

Phillips told CBC that the household was told they didn't suffice for victims of homicide supports. 

Police accidental Omeasoo was successful a radical of 4 youths and 1 18-year-old who constabulary accidental assaulted a 34-year-old antheral and a 32-year-old pistillate astatine the LRT presumption astir 11:40 p.m. connected Feb. 5.

Omeasoo was killed successful the altercation betwixt the radical of young radical and the antheral and woman.

The different 4 different suspects — a 15-year-old girl, a 14-year-old girl, and a 14-year-old boy and the 18-year-old man — were charged with aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and possessing an violative limb unsafe to the public.

A constabulary spokesperson said they initially arrested a 5th person, another adult, who was not charged.

According to police, the radical and the brace were not known to each other. The antheral and pistillate who were attacked had allegedly been taking structure astatine the station.

Phillips told CBC that she wants police to fto the household spot the surveillance video of the incident. She said the household is distraught and feels similar they don't person enough information.

"We request to beryllium provided each those younker statements of what happened that night," she said. 

"We request to recognize that, based connected on witnesser accounts and the video footage, however that is self-defence."

Though the constabulary person seemingly closed the lawsuit on Omeasoo's death, Phillips said it's not implicit for her. She said she hopes that if immoderate different witnesses are retired there, that they volition talk with her astir what happened that night.

"I volition not halt warring for justness for Eric. Until my past breath, I volition beryllium seeking justness for him."

Rhonda Spence, Omeasoo's grandmother, was his ineligible guardian. She said soon aft his decease that family members were wanting to cognize what happened and wherefore nary 1 had been charged in Omeasoo's death.

"My grandson deserves to person that known," she said Feb. 10. "He wasn't conscionable immoderate nobody. He deserves justice."