Murder suspect shot at police first: watchdog
The province’s police watchdog says the suspected murderer of a Calgary woman opened fire on police after a run from the law, injuring an RCMP officer before being killed in a shootout west of Edmonton on Thursday.
Abderrahmane (Adam) Bettahar, wanted in the death of 22-year-old Nadia El-Dib, was shot and killed Thursday in a traffic stop following what Mounties described as a pursuit on a stretch of Highway 16 west of Edmonton.
The confrontation left an RCMP officer, Sgt. Brian Topham, commander of the Evansburg detachment, with non-life-threatening injuries. Topham is recovering in an Edmonton hospital after being airlifted by a STARS air ambulance following the gun battle.
“Sgt. Topham remains in the hospital, but is recovering well and is in good spirits. He and his family are extremely appreciative of the support and concern that has been flooding in from colleagues and the public,” Cpl. Laurel Scott said in a release.
Bettahar was wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for first-degree murder and police were searching for him driving a 2004 dark blue Ford Explorer.
A cause of death for El-Dib, whose body was found in the backyard of a home in the 1000 block of Maitland Drive N.E. last Sunday, has not been released. Investigators believe she and Bettahar were in a relationship for a short time before the slaying, although the motive for her killing is not known.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team said police identified the suspect’s vehicle in Evansburg around 5:15 p.m. Thursday. An attempt to stop the vehicle he was driving was unsuccessful.
He then led police on a chase, with RCMP members from Evansburg, Stony Plain, Spruce Grove, Edson and Drayton Valley in pursuit, driving back and forth multiple times on Highway 16 between Evansburg and Entwistle, RCMP said.
The driver avoided spike belts deployed by the RCMP, but police successfully deflated the vehicle’s tires near Nojack.
The eastbound vehicle rolled for a time before it came to a stop on the highway, about 100 kilometres west of Edmonton.
That’s when the driver got out of the vehicle and started shooting at officers, according to the serious incident response team, which investigates all police-involved shootings. Officers returned fire, killing the driver, who was the lone occupant of the vehicle.
Police have not released the name of the suspect who died Thursday, but El-Dib’s older sister, Racha, said a Calgary police detective phoned her family to tell them they believed it was Bettahar. Calgary police would not confirm Friday whether the arrest warrant for Bettahar was still active.
Premier Rachel Notley offered her support for Topham and others affected by Thursday’s incident.
“My thoughts are with the communities close by, and with the officer who was injured. I’m relieved to hear that he is recovering in stable condition,” the premier said in a series of Twitter posts Friday morning.
“My heart goes out to the family and friends of Ms. El-Dib ... May they find comfort during this extremely difficult time.”
An autopsy of the murder suspect is scheduled for Tuesday.
The El-Dib family expressed their appreciation to the Calgary Police Service and the community.