On November 3, 2016, the Director of Law Enforcement directed the Alberta Serious Incident Response team (ASIRT) to investigate the circumstances surrounding an officer-involved shooting on that same day in Calgary.
Shortly before 7 p.m., Calgary Police Service (CPS) members became involved in an investigation of a stolen vehicle driven by a male. Officers requested additional units to assist with a traffic stop, but located the stolen vehicle – a Honda Civic — in a lane while waiting for back-up to arrive.
When the officers pulled up to the Civic in their marked police vehicle, it reversed and struck the left front side of the police cruiser. An officer approached the driver’s side window of the Civic on foot to speak with the driver, who was the lone occupant, and reached into the car in an attempt to put it in park. An altercation occurred between the man and the officer. During the struggle, the man was able to put the Civic into motion while the officer’s upper body was in the vehicle. Ultimately, the officer was dislodged from the moving vehicle.
While this was going on, a second officer had moved to the passenger side of the Civic as it continued to move and fired his service pistol. As a result, the driver was injured, lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a nearby garbage bin. Additional officers arrived on scene and took the man into custody. Paramedics provided emergency medical attention to the driver, who is 20 years old, and took him to hospital. The man’s injuries are serious, but not life-threatening. He remains in hospital in stable condition.
The officer involved in the altercation with the driver went to hospital with minor injuries, was treated and then released.
Investigators are asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident and/or taken video to contact ASIRT at 403-592-4306.
With ASIRT’s investigation underway, there will be no further comment until the investigation is complete.