Charges in Lethbridge hostage taking upgraded amid examination of firearm
Some of the charges laid against a woman accused in a hostage taking in downtown Lethbridge in July have been changed after further investigation into the weapons used.
The incident unfolded at the Lethbridge Legal Guidance office in the 400 block of 5 Street South on July 15.
Police say four employees were working when a woman entered and asked to speak with a specific lawyer who was not available.
The woman then asked to use the washroom and, roughly 10 minutes later, returned armed with what appeared to be a handgun.
The suspect allegedly pointed the gun at the employees and began threatening them and demanding they get the lawyer on the phone.
Three of the employees were able to escape but the woman allegedly forced a 54-year-old woman into an office, pushing chairs up against the door.
The tactical team and crisis negotiators swarmed the office. After an hour of negotiations, officers entered the building and apprehended the suspect.
The hostage, 54-year-old Kathryn Linder, had been stabbed multiple times in the neck and was taken to hospital in life-threatening condition. She has since been released from hospital and told CTV News it took 56 stiches to mend her wounds.
Courtney Louise Shaw of Lethbridge was charged with 15 offences, including use of an imitation firearm while committing an offence.
On Wednesday, the Lethbridge Police Service said testing of the airsoft handgun seized at the scene determined it met the definition of a firearm based on the velocity of its projectile.
As a result, original charges referring to 'use of an imitation firearm' have been changed to firearm charges.
Shaw's updated charges are as follows:
- Attempted murder;
- Aggravated assault;
- Taking a hostage;
- Assault with a weapon (knife);
- Two counts of possession of a weapon dangerous to the public;
- Four counts each of unlawful confinement;
- Uttering threats;
- Pointing a firearm, and
- And assault with a weapon (firearm).
Her next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 1.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.