By Matt Nemeth

Strathcona Park New Year’s Eve assault victim dies

Jan 11, 2017 | 4:41 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — The Medicine Hat Police Service has confirmed the man found in Strathcona Island Park on New Year’s Eve with life-threatening injuries has died.

Jordan Pede was airlifted to Calgary after being discovered in the park with serious injuries on December 31. According to police, Pede was in a medically-induced coma and was taken off life support on Wednesday.

Friends have said the 24-year-old man was shot, though the cause of death has not been confirmed by police. An autopsy was scheduled on Wednesday, and a preliminary cause of death could be revealed by Thursday.

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The Police Service’s Major Crimes Section is investigating, and say the incident has been determined to be drug related.

“It’s extremely tragic, but it just goes to some of the issues we have in the community, with the increase in methamphetamine, the increase in crack cocaine,” said Inspector Brent Secondiak with the Medicine Hat Police Service, adding police have also noted an increase in heroin in the city.

“These are very extreme, hardcore street drugs. People who use them (and) are in that culture are more likely to be at risk for violence, assault, sexual assault, physical violence, and unfortunately homicide.

Secondiak says social media has hampered the investigation, saying the information provided has been “very detrimental .”

“In this case in particular, there has been a lot of social media interference,” he said. “People have released things early, they’ve released photos of suspects that turned out not to be suspects. We don’t do anything until we have solid evidence to make a conclusion on.”

Secondiak says police do not believe there is a further risk to the general public.

No arrests have been made, however Secondiak says police have interviewed several persons-of-interest through their investigation. Secondiak says police are examining physical evidence from the scene, and continue to conduct interviews and follow-up on tips from the public.

Pede’s death is the fourth homicide of 2016 in Medicine Hat.

Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to call the MHPS at 403-529-8481 or provide at tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.