RCMP officer Tarith Sehmbi charged with second degree murder in Edmonton

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has charged RCMP constable Tarith Sehmbi with second degree murder. Mr. Sehmbi’s first appearance in court is expected to be on Monday, July 12, in Edmonton.

Police were called to a home in southeast Edmonton early Saturday morning after neighbours reported hearing what sounded like gunshots.

Const. Sehmbi will likely be suspended from his job within days as a result of the serious charge against him, said Sergeant Tim Taniguchi, an RCMP spokesman.

“He will be suspended and this process will come very quickly now that charges have been laid,” Sgt. Taniguchi said in an interview on Sunday. “The suspension will initially be with pay. That will be pending a review to consider the option of stopping the pay.”

The officer had been married for over nine years and the couple has two young sons, Sgt. Taniguchi said.

Sehmbi used to volunteer for Radio Punjab, a radio station which focuses on South Asian issues and music. He and an Edmonton police officer co-hosted a radio program. The program, spoken in Punjabi, offered advice on navigating the Canadian legal system.