An ASIRT investigation into an officer-involved shooting that left one man dead and a woman in critical condition is complete and has determined that no criminal charges will be laid against the officers who fired their weapons.
Police were called to a complaint of shots fired in the community of Copperfield at about 9:15 p.m. on February 28, 2014.
Arriving officers saw a dark grey Ford F350 flee the area eastbound on 130 Avenue SE and HAWCS was deployed to keep track of the truck as it crashed over sidewalks, median, curbs and then through a fence.
Police say the truck continued to be driven erratically at high speeds, running red lights and making illegal turns.
The vehicle was seen intentionally ramming a number of vehicles causing injuries to innocent civilians before trying to sideswipe a police cruiser.
The truck eventually ended up travelling southbound on Deerfoot Trail and was trailed by several unmarked police vehicles.
It then tried to make a sharp turn at a high rate of speed across the southbound lanes and intentionally smashed into the concrete barrier that divides the north and southbound lanes.
The truck ended up facing northbound in the southbound lanes and was rammed by police vehicles as it tried to drive away, before coming to rest in the southbound lane of Deerfoot Trail, near the McKenzie Lake overpass.
Two officers fired upon the truck hitting the 34-year old male driver, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 27-year old female passenger was shot in the face after she held a dark object out in front of her and pointed it at the officers.
Sources confirmed to CTV News that Jason Gary Roy and Ashley Jennifer Silver were the two occupants of the Ford F350 and at the time of the incident then Police Chief Rick Hanson said both had been 'involved in a great deal of criminal activity."
“Both individuals were out on conditions of non-association, they weren’t supposed to be even in a vehicle, and they’re associated to a similar event in another jurisdiction where a vehicle was used as a weapon and charges were laid to that effect,” said Hanson the day after the shooting.
The woman was taken to Foothills Hospital in critical condition and survived her injuries.
The investigation determined that the dark object that the woman pointed at police was a pair of black sunglasses.
The woman told ASIRT investigators that the driver had been awake for days and was using methamphetamine. She said she pointed the sunglasses at the officers to make them think she had a weapon so they would shoot her because she wanted to die to be with the driver.
ASIRT launched an investigation and did not find a firearm in the vehicle and officials say the driver was out on bail for similar offences at the time of the shooting.
ASIRT Executive Director Susan D. Hughson, Q.C reviewed the file and after consultation with the Crown, determined that the officers involved will not be charged with any criminal offences in connection to the incident.
