116 charges laid after $75K drug bust at encampment: Calgary police
Posted Dec 21, 2023 2:10 pm.
Calgary police have charged three men and a woman with a combined 116 charges after seizing firearms and over $73,000 in drugs from an encampment downtown.
Officers with the mountain bike unit were completing a “trespassing check and a welfare check” at an encampment on private property at 600 1 Street SE at around 9 a.m. on Dec. 19.
It’s not clear what transpired, but officers say when they arrived, they found around 290 grams of methamphetamine, 333.5 of fentanyl, 20.7 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, a loaded sawed-off .22 calibre rifle, three loaded 9-mm handguns with 3D-printed receivers and restricted extended capacity magazines, and a switchblade.
Police have since charged 48-year-old Lance Little Light, 28-year-old Carleen Healy, 34-year-old Trinity Healy, and 45-year-old Shawnawa Firstrider in connection with this investigation.
They all face multiple charges for possession, including of a weapon for dangerous use, a prohibited weapon, a loaded prohibited weapon, a firearm when prohibited from doing so by judicial order, proceeds of crime, fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking, methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking, and psilocybin for the purpose of trafficking.
“This incident underscores the importance of addressing encampments early. We work closely with our community partners to ensure we are always leading with compassion and services; however, enforcement is still a critical component of ensuring public safety,” said A/S Sgt. Michael Anderson of the Calgary Police Service in a news release.
“In this case, our officers put themselves in a dangerous situation to address the safety concerns and criminality at this particular encampment, and through enforcement, we were able to take illegal guns and drugs off of Calgary streets.”
Police are asking Calgarians to report any instances of suspicious behaviour or criminal activity by calling 403-266-1234 or leaving a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
