Calgary police officer shot, man dead as ASIRT launches probe
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Calgary’s police chief said the results of an officer-involved shooting, which ended with an officer shot and a man taking his own life early Friday morning, could have been much worse, pointing to a series of slain police across Canada in recent months.
Police were called to the 500 block of Canyon Meadows Drive S.W. just before 3 a.m. for reports of a suspicious person blaring loud music in a vehicle and behaving erratically, a CPS news release said Friday.
When the officer arrived at the scene and approached the vehicle, the man inside shot the officer, wounding him in the leg. The officer returned fire and the male fled on foot toward a nearby park. The man continued down a path where he then took his own life, police said. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has been directed to carry out an investigation into the incident.
Chief Mark Neufeld, speaking after a graduation ceremony for the latest round of CPS recruits, said the officer is expected to make a full recovery. He said the officer is a veteran of the force, having spent more than two decades with the department.
“I would say that the injuries, very fortunately, were quite minor, and I would see from a physical perspective, 100 per cent recovery,” said Neufeld.
Neufeld said he was thankful that the incident did not end up worse for the officer, pointing to the recent slaying of RCMP officer Shaelynn Yang in British Columbia as well as the killings of Const. Andrew Hong with the Toronto Police Service and constables Morgan Russell and Devon Northrup with the South Simcoe Police Service.
“I do think it’s very disconcerting the amount of violence we’ve seen against police officers across the country, and certainly now here in Calgary,” said Neufeld.
Neufeld said his thoughts go out to the family of the deceased individual. He did not provide further details, citing the ASIRT investigation.
The chief said there will be an operational review of the incident.
There has been an increase in violence in Calgary throughout 2022. Officers have responded to more than 100 shootings across the city and Neufeld said there has also been a rise in the number of calls involving assaults. A Calgary police commission meeting on Wednesday heard officers are handling an increasing number of mental-health calls, dealing with 4,640 so far this year compared to an annual five-year average of 3,300.
Neufeld said a small portion of the population is willing to use weapons against other people, including against police. He said that should be concerning for everyone in Calgary.
“It’s got to be a huge concern for all of us, right, in terms of the safety of our community, and so all of us have to be part of the solution to make that stop,” said Neufeld.
John Orr, president of the Calgary Police Association, said supports will be provided to the injured officer while he recovers, and that he has the full support of the union. He said his members now have a chance to come together and appreciate how they keep each other safe.
“When these things happen, and it’s happening far too often in Canada, it’s a time where we all need to think about how we view the police,” said Orr. “Our members are there to protect the community and do so with great integrity.”
Mayor Jyoti Gondek called Friday’s altercation “unbelievably tragic” and said those in public office need to continue to collaborate on addressing mental-health and addictions.
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