Image of Leonard Beaulieu as posted on the MHPS Facebook page on August 3.--HANDOUT PHOTO
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
It was a fairly uneventful August long weekend for Medicine Hat police this year, except for the Sunday arrest of a convicted killer.
Leonard Beaulieu, now 33, was convicted in 2019 of manslaughter in the shooting death of Jordan Pede on New Year’s Eve 2016. Beaulieu was given an eight-year sentence on multiple charges. In 2024, some time after having been released from prison, Beaulieu was in court facing charges from driving through a chain-link fence and over an embankment of the South Saskatchewan River.
Those charges included uttering threats, having a firearm in his vehicle, dangerous operation of a vehicle and fleeing police. Beaulieu is once again in custody facing numerous charges, following his arrest Sunday.
Acting Insp. Harley Kesler with the Medicine Hat Police Service explained that police responded to a reported break and enter in the Norwood area on July 31. Beaulieu was identified as responsible for a forceful entry, robbery, mischief and a second break and enter.
“He had eluded the police until August 3,” said Kesler. “We utilized a couple specialty units such as the tactical team and the crisis negotiators, because the individual has a demonstrated history of violence, so in an effort to mitigate that violence, we used specialty units to take them safely into custody.”
Beaulieu was taken into custody without incident at an address on Princess Avenue. A subsequent warrant was conducted, where police recovered a firearm.
“In a lot of cases like this, when we’re dealing with a person we would consider high risk, it’s very common for us to use a tactical unit. Part of that component would include drones, robots, as well as crisis negotiators to de-escalate the situation as well,” said Kesler. Overall, he considers the arrest to have gone smoothly and to be a success.
Following the events of Sunday, Beaulieu is facing multiple charges, including six breach of a release order charges, possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm, possessing a firearm without a registration, defacing a firearm, break and enter and commit theft, mischief over $5,000 and a robbery charge.
Aside from this arrest, the long weekend had no other calls for service of note, said Kesler, and was largely business as usual for the Medicine Hat Police Service.
