The Lethridge Police Service has completed an internal investigation into the response time in connection with the possible sighting of a man wanted on a Canada-wide warrant.
Shortly before 6:00 a.m. Monday, a citizen called 911 after encountering a person at the McDonald’s location on Scenic Drive who matched the description of a wanted man. The caller recognized the man from photos she had seen circulating on social media.
The call taker determined the woman was referring to David Fomradas, a man originally from Lethbridge who is wanted after failing to return to an outpatient forensic psychiatric hospital in Coquitlam, B.C.
According to police, 911 received notification that the suspect left the restaurant eight minutes later the dispatcher changed the status of the call to ‘in pending’.
An LPS member arrived at the restaurant at 7:20 a.m., 88 minutes after the initial call. A review of the surveillance video from the McDonald's proved inconclusive as police could not confirm if the subject was indeed Fomradas due to the video’s quality.
According to the LPS and officials with the Public Safety Communications Centre, the organization that fields emergency calls dispatch protocols will be tightened to ensure calls of this nature are dispatched with high priority.
Fomradas remains at large and is capable of violent behaviour if not properly medicated.
The 38-year-old is described as:
- A Caucasian male
- 180 cm (5'11") tall
- Weighing 71 Kg (156 lbs)
- Blue eyes
- Long light brown hair
- Moustache and beard
Members of the public are advised not to approach Fomradas and to call the LPS, 403-328-4444, or 911, in emergency situations, if they spot the wanted man.
