No charges for Calgary cop in fatal shooting of suspect in Falconridge shopping plaza

Alberta’s police watchdog says no charges will be laid against the Calgary police officer who fired fatal shots at a suspect two years ago.

On Oct. 18, 2023, the Calgary Police Service (CPS) Tactical Unit was assigned to arrest two men believed to have been involved in an attempted murder the week before.

Officers were monitoring the pair in a stolen ACURA SUV, waiting for the best time to execute the arrests.

Police believed both men were armed and dangerous.

ASIRT says CPS’s goal was to take both men into custody at a location where it would be safe for the arresting officers and members of the public.

Officers followed the vehicle to a strip mall in Falconridge, where one of the suspects went inside and grabbed food from a Vietnamese restaurant.

While the suspects were distracted by eating, police moved in for the arrest, throwing flashbangs, yelling “police!” and smashing the windows with a metal bar.

At this time, one of the officers was shot in the arm by the suspect in the back seat. He returned fire and struck the suspect.

The driver of the vehicle was successfully arrested by officers. The individual who had been shot was transported to hospital where he died of his injuries.

The police officer who was shot recovered from his injuries.

Officers found three guns in the suspect’s SUV, two handguns in the back, and one in a satchel that was in possession of the driver.

ASIRT acting executive director Matthew Block says in his report that the officer was justified in his actions and used reasonable force given the situation.

Given the incident was happened in a public shopping plaza in the middle of the day, local business owners and patrons expressed concerns for their safety at the time.