Calgary officer shot

Policeman in stable condition in hospital; suspect found dead in burning garage

ACalgary police officer was in hospital Tuesday with his family by his side after being shot by a suspect in a residential neighbourhood in the city’s northeast. Police Chief Roger Chaffin, who saw and spoke with the injured male officer, said the five-year constable was listed in stable condition in Foothills Hospital.

“He’s an officer like many of our front-line people. These are young men and women who go out to police, they have families and they go out to do everything they can to create safety in this city,” Chaffin said. “In this case, he was confronted with a very violent situation and was seriously injured because of it.

“These are not superheroes. These are average people who are very brave, who do what they can on a day-to-day basis to make sure this city is safe.” A lone suspect was found dead, Chaffin said. The call that led to the shooting started early Tuesday morning with a robbery at a convenience store, he said.

“Following the robbery, brandishing a firearm, the suspect allegedly attempted to carjack a woman outside a home,” Chaffin said. “Our officers flooded the area and attempted to locate a suspect.”

During that search, he said police received another report of an attempted break in and found a man matching the suspect’s description between two houses.

“As officers entered the backyard, the suspect began firing shots,” he said. “It’s our understanding that a member or members of our service returned fire. One officer was shot and was taken to hospital.”

No details were provided on the extent of the officer’s injuries and his name was not released by police.

Chaffin said they were able to contain the area with the help of the tactical unit, which has a paramedic who attended to the wounded officer.

As the officer got help, he said others noticed smoke coming from a garage and called in the fire department.

The suspect — who also hasn’t been identified — was found dead inside the garage once the fire was put out, said Chaffin.

A long line of police cars, including a large armoured SUV used by the tactical unit, rumbled out of the residential neighbourhood of Abbeydale earlier Tuesday afternoon.

“I can tell you ... we’re very lucky today because he took two rifle rounds, but he’s in stable condition,” said Les Kaminski, president of the Calgary Police Association. “So far, so good.”

He said the shooting is a reminder of what police face on a daily basis.

“This is what the work entails — dangerous people that we have to deal with that the rest of society don’t want to deal with,” said Kaminski.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, which investigates police conduct, said it was reviewing the shooting.

Police initially called it an “active situation” involving a firearm and advised people in the neighbourhood to stay in their homes. That order was lifted later in the day.

Chaffin noted that Calgary hasn’t had a police officer shot on the street in decades.

“It was probably 25 or 26 years ago,” he said. “It’s not something we’re conditioned to see a lot.

“When it happens, we have to be able to stand tall to it and respond professionally and they did just that.”