‘I might die today’: EPS officers caught moving home security cameras, woman calls 911 on cops

EDMONTON (CityNews) — Imagine calling the cops on the cops.

That’s what happened to an Edmonton woman earlier this month after a pair of officers were captured on video moving around home security cameras so they were out of view.

CityNews has agreed to hide the identity of the homeowner as she fears for her safety.

“The first one I thought maybe she just doesn’t want me to see her there,” said the homeowner. “Then when they walked around the house and starting doing the other cameras, I thought this is it for me. I might not make it out.”

Police moved the cameras May 6. The woman says police showed up around 8:30 p.m. and knocked on the door. She refused to open after feeling something wasn’t right. Instead, she called the non-emergency line.

While on hold, the woman inside the home saw the female officer moving her security cameras to face another direction. That’s when she dialed 911. She says she was scared of what could happen next.

“I might die today,” she recounted. “I actually texted a couple of people. I said, ‘this happened, just remember that, and that might be it.”

ORIGINAL STORY FROM MAY 14: ‘It should be investigated as a criminal offence’: EPS officers caught on video moving around security cameras 

She says one officer then tried to kick down her back door. Photos sent to CityNews purportedly show dents and cracks on the doors, and a split door frame.

The homeowner says the officers left the area after she spoke to the 911 operator.

She says she later contacted EPS and was told it was a “wellness check” but the Service refused to tell her who exactly made the call.

Criminal lawyer Tom Engel tells CityNews he believes this was not proper police protocol.

“No. In fact, I would think it’s criminal behaviour on the part of the police,” said Engel. “They are interfering with private property, which is the crime of mischief to private property. And they are obviously trying to make sure there is no independent audio/video record of what they are doing, and that’s obstruction of justice.

“It should be investigated as a criminal offence.”

The woman has made a compliant and was scheduled to meet with EPS’ professional standards branch. She wants the investigation to be taken seriously.

She says if she was actually having a mental health episode, it might have not ended well.

“I would think if somebody were already scared and in crisis, that would cause them to maybe get so scared they would hurt themselves. That would be like pouring gasoline on a fire.”

A spokesperson for EPS says the incident is under investigation.