Calgary police chief apologizes after new evidence shows teenage brothers not responsible for fatal shooting
Posted Nov 22, 2023 10:35 am.
Last Updated Nov 22, 2023 11:14 am.
Calgary police are apologizing for arresting and charging the wrong suspects in the fatal shooting in Marlborough Park last week.
Police initially charged two brothers, aged 14 and 18, with one count of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, and accessory to murder after the fact, respectively.
This comes as the charges against the pair were dropped Tuesday, after additional information came to light.
Following the Nov. 13 shooting in the parking lot of the northeast’s Trans Canada Centre, police said they “received valuable information from witnesses to the incident” that directed their attention to “a particular vehicle that was leaving the area of the shooting.”
Police previously said that minutes after the shooting, police saw a black truck speeding in the city’s northeast and southeast, prompting it to be followed by HAWCS.
Investigators said the truck was abandoned in the parking lot of the Chinook Centre mall on Macleod Trail, where the suspects got into another vehicle that was waiting for them.
That vehicle then drove to two homes on 30A Avenue SE in Dover.
Police surrounded the homes and then took the 14- and 18-year-olds into custody.
Since then, investigators say new evidence came to light leading them to believe the young brothers weren’t responsible for the shooting, which also left a man and woman with serious injuries.
Calgary police Chief Mark Neufeld said Tuesday the new information was a video which had been circulating on social media, brought to the attention of police by a member of the community.
Thus the charges were dropped during the teens’ second court appearance.
“As soon as investigators received this contradictory evidence and were sufficiently satisfied with its reliability, they notified the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service, which led to the charges being stayed today in court,” Neufeld said.
“We recognize that these charges will have impacted these two young men, their family and the community in very significant ways, and for that we apologize unreservedly.”
Police say they’ve reached out to the community and the families of the brothers to offer supports and give “additional answers.”
The police chief says those involved with the investigation aren’t pleased with the mistake.
“I’ll tell you, investigators that are involved in homicide investigations who are very talented and very professional are as concerned about this as anybody,” Neufeld said. “I can tell you that they’re not happy with what’s happened here, although they know that they followed the chain of evidence as it was at the time.”
He’s now committed to an independent review that will look into the circumstances that led to the arrest and charges.
“I think it’s a good idea for us to bring in somebody who’s not a member of the Calgary Police Service, so I’d be looking for another police agency,” he said.
As the investigation continues, police say they are committed to finding justice for the family of the man who was killed, as well as those who were injured.
