Charges dropped against Calgary man accused of fleeing cops, hitting seniors
Posted Nov 3, 2016 3:17 pm.
Last Updated Nov 3, 2016 3:39 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Charges against a Calgary man shot in the face by police for allegedly driving into an elderly couple and fleeing officers have been dropped because it took too long to get to trial.
The crown decided to stay the charges against Jason Harron because the case because of the delays, an issue which has been in the news in recent weeks.
Defence lawyers Tonii Roulston and Andi Urquhart released the following statement:
This has been a very long ordeal for Mr. Harron. While he is relieved about this outcome he was looking forward to his day in Court. The Charter Notice filed by Defence was in part due to the delay and this was the reason for the stay by the Crown Prosecutor. However the Charter Notice was also based on sections 7 and 12 due to the actions of Calgary police officers who targeted and hit Mr Harron between the eyes. This resulted in him being permanently blinded which has had a devastating impact on his life- something he lives with and struggles with everyday.
Harron faced charges of hit and run causing bodily harm, criminal negligence causing bodily harm, flight from police causing bodily harm and dangerous driving causing bodily harm for the incident back in 2013.
He was accused of fleeing police during a traffic stop and hitting the couple nearby on the sidewalk, who escaped with non-life threatening injuries.
He was also shot by police during the incident, which the Alberta Serious Incident Response Teams deemed justified.
It’s the latest case to be thrown out amidst a shortage of judges and a July Supreme Court decision imposing strict deadlines for cases to get to trial.
In October, a murder charge was stayed in Edmonton followed by defence lawyers in Calgary serving notice they would make similar applications.
Alberta got some relief last month when Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley announced new vacancies for judges, the same day the federal government announced it was appointing five judges to the Court of Queen’s Bench and two to the Court of Appeal.
