Calgary's top cop concerned about rising violence against police after officer shot in Canyon Meadows
A Calgary police officer will make a full recovery after being shot in the leg while responding to a call around 2:45 a.m. in the southwest community of Canyon Meadows.
There was a report of a suspicious vehicle blaring loud music in the parking lot of a condo building at 505 Canyon Meadows Dr. S.W.
Police say the driver was “behaving erratically.”
Police say when the lone officer approached the vehicle, the man in the car fired a shotgun and hit the officer.
Shirley Sever, who lives in the condo complex, was sleeping when she heard shots ring out.
“Pop, pop, pop, you know. I’ve only ever heard gunshots on TV. I’ve never heard a real one,” said Sever.
“At first, I thought it was somebody trying to break in the front door, but then my husband said no, that wasn’t the door, it was (a) gunshot.”
Police say the officer fired back at the driver, but the man ran off into Fish Creek Provincial Park where he took his own life.
At this time, no further information is known about the man.
The responding officer was treated for his injuries, and released from hospital this morning.
Police Chief Mark Neufeld says he is thankful the member is OK.
“I’m proud of the officer and the way he responded. He will make a full recovery from this. Certainly, there’s not just the physical implications, but there’s the emotional implications,” said Neufeld.
“I’m happy to say he will do very well, but this could have been a much different day.”
Neufeld said while the police force has received a tremendous outpouring of support from the community after Friday morning’s incident, it’s disconcerting that there has been an increase in violence toward police officers across the country and in Calgary.
In September, Toronto police officer Const. Andrew Hong was shot at close range and killed in Mississauga, Ont., during his lunch break at a training session.
Earlier this month, Const. Devon Northrup and Const. Morgan Russell of the South Simcoe Police Service were fatally shot while investigating a disturbance at a home in Innisfil, Ont.
Also earlier this month, Burnaby RCMP officer Const. Shaelyn Yang was fatally stabbed while responding to a call about a man in a tent at a park in Burnaby, B.C.
And in Calgary, less than two years ago, Sgt. Andrew Harnett died after being dragged by a fleeing SUV and falling into a path of an oncoming car.
“I can tell you that there’s a lot of rhetoric out there that’s negative toward police officers. And there’s elements of the community, the fringe, typically, that are espousing violence against our institutions,” said Neufeld.
“And this is something we’ve all got to be concerned about. It’s not OK.”
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team has taken over the investigation, but Neufeld says Calgary police will also do an operational review of the incident, focusing on policy, training and equipment.
Residents of the condo complex are shaken up about the incident, but thankful police officers showed up quickly.
“It’s a pretty quiet complex. We’re all older people and it’s pretty quiet. It was scary not knowing exactly what was happening,” said Sever.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Former B.C. premier John Horgan dies at 65
John Horgan, who served as British Columbia's premier from 2017 to 2022 has died. He was 65.
Labour minister pushes for 'deal at the table' after Canada Post union issues strike notice
Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon says the federal government currently has no plans to intervene in negotiations after the union representing Canada Post workers issued a 72-hour strike notice.
What consumers need to know if Canada Post workers strike ahead of a busy holiday season
Canada's postal workers could walk off the job or the company could lock them out as soon as 12:01 a.m. ET Friday if the union and the company don't reach an agreement. Here are tips for shoppers and businesses.
BREAKING Feds move to end work stoppages at ports, order binding arbitration
Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon says he is intervening to end the work stoppages at ports in both British Columbia and Montreal.
Ottawa high school principal apologizes for song played during Remembrance Day assembly
The principal of an Ottawa high school is apologizing to students, parents and guardians after an Arabic-language song was played during the school's Remembrance Day service. The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board is conducting a "thorough investigation" to ensure it "is addressed appropriately and meaningfully."
23 arrested after at least 100 shots fired in exchange of gunfire outside Toronto recording studio: police
Police say 23 people are in custody after at least 100 shots were fired in an exchange of gunfire outside a West Queen West recording studio on Monday night.
Black market butter: What's behind the recent string of dairy thefts?
The case of the missing butter remains a mystery, but some have ideas on what's behind the unusual crimes.
The Taliban will attend a UN climate conference for the first time
The Taliban will attend a UN climate conference for the first time since their takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, the country's national environment agency said Sunday.
Campaign staffer resigns after N.S. PCs accused of vote-buying with Tim's gift cards
The Nova Scotia Liberal Party has filed a complaint with Elections Nova Scotia, accusing a Progressive Conservative candidate of trying to buy votes by allegedly handing out gift cards outside of a Tim Hortons.