ASIRT investigating second officer involved shooting this week
Posted Mar 21, 2015 3:52 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team is investigating after shots were fired in the downtown core.
EMS responded to the 100 block of 7th Avenue, S.W. after 11 a.m. Saturday and transported one person to hospital in serious condition.
Police have confirmed an officer was involved in the shooting.
Calgary Police Inspector Ryan Ayliffe updated the media Saturday evening and says officers were on scene at a rally occurring in the downtown core when they observed a man approaching the rally causing a disturbance.
The man began to walk away from the event and was approached by officers at which time he fled on foot. When patrol officers were able to catch up with him on Centre Street and 8th Avenue, S.W. an officer approached him and a physical struggle ensued.
The situation escalated rapidly when the suspect produced a metal pipe; within a few seconds a service firearm was discharged as well as a Code 200, officer in trouble call, was voiced over the air.
The man was taken to hospital where he remains in critical condition and one officer sustained injuries and was treated on scene.
Shortly before this incident, Sherry Walford said she was at a rally at City Hall taking pictures.
“All of a sudden I see a crowd gathered and this guy walks by and he starts yelling out “white power” and starts swearing at these guys and fingering them,” she explained.
“The next thing I know, I saw some cops get out of their van and start to walk towards him and he takes off running down 8th Avenue and they took off running after him. After that, I lost track of where he was and what he was doing.”
Journalism student Ryan Wellicome said he was at both incidents and recognizes a jacket seen at the scene, noting it’s the same one he saw the man was wearing at the protest.
“It seems as though it’s related,” he said. “I do recognize the jacket that’s on the ground as his jacket, so I believe it is related, but it’s hard to tell.”
No connection between the two events has been made by officials.
