Police seek public help in Crowfoot- area rifle theft
Police have obtained CCTV footage and are turning to the public for clues as they continue investigating the theft of a police- issue patrol rifle stolen from the private vehicle of an off- duty officer over the weekend.
The officer was heading home from work when he stopped into Schanks Sports Bar on Crowfoot Terrace NW at Crowfoot Crossing on Saturday night.
When he returned to his personal vehicle, he realized someone had broken into the Subaru and made off with a hardcover case containing a police- issue Colt C8 rifle — which the officer was taking home to clean — and two magazines containing 28 rounds each.
The case was apparently locked but improperly tethered to the vehicle, according to Supt. Kevan Stuart, who told reporters on Sunday he was “sick to my stomach” to learn of the incident.
Sources have confirmed the officer is Const. Stephen Baker. He is a three- year member of the Calgary Police Service and has been suspended with pay.
The police service’s guns and gangs unit has been assigned to find the stolen firearm. Officers believe witnesses in the area at the time of the theft, believed to have occurred between 10: 45 and 11 p. m. Saturday, may have seen something of interest to police.
In CCTV footage obtained by investigators, citizens are seen walking from the direction of a Cineplex movie theatre toward a parking lot next to Schanks around the time of the theft.
The citizens get into their vehicle, back out of their spot and, after some manoeuvring, attempt to leave the lot. But they are blocked by a vehicle suspected by police to be connected to the theft. The citizens were forced to stop for about five seconds.
“We are very much interested in what the people in that vehicle may have seen that night,” said Sgt. Jason Walker with the guns and gangs unit. “Ultimately we want this firearm recovered, and we are asking that anyone with any information that could assist us to please contact us.”
Investigators are working to identify the makes and models of the suspect vehicle and the one occupied by witnesses. As they pore over other CCTV footage, they expect to know more about what happened inside the parking lot.
Walker said witnesses commonly do not understand the significance of what they have seen until police later point it out for them.
“These folks might have seen something that is very important to us but at the time may have thought nothing of it.”
Police are trying to determine whether other vehicles in the area were broken into Saturday night or if the officer’s Subaru was targeted. So far, investigators have not received any reports of other break- ins.
A criminal investigation into the storage of the firearm is underway. The case has also has sparked an internal investigation with the professional standards section to determine whether any policies and procedures were breached, which Alberta Serious Incident Response Team ( ASIRT) is overseeing.
The provincial agency investigates events involving police that result in death or serious injury, as well as sensitive allegations of police misconduct.
Stuart said he also learned of allegations on social media about police canvassing vehicles in the area in a bid to search for clues in the case, which could potentially spark a separate professional standards investigation.
Stuart added it’s not uncommon for police officers to bring their handguns home, but he stressed every officer is subject to the same rules and laws as citizens in regard to the safe storage of firearms.