A 17-year-old boy is scheduled to appear in a Lethbridge courtroom on Wednesday in connection with an October incident that ended when an officer firing his firearm at the teen.
On the evening of October 9, members of the Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) responded to the Safeway location following reports a female customer had been sexually assaulted. The suspect in the incident allegedly stole a large knife from behind the store’s butcher counter and confronted store security while acting irrationally.
The knife wielding suspect fled prior to the arrival of officers and was located a short distance from the store along Red Crow Boulevard. Police approached the teenaged suspect and, during the confrontation, an officer discharged his service pistol, striking the teen. The 17-year-old was transported to hospital in serious but non-life threatening condition.
The underage suspect, who cannot be identified, was originally charged with:
- Sexual assault
- Theft under $5,000
- Possession of an offensive weapon dangerous to the public
On Monday, an additional charge of assaulting a peace officer with a weapon was laid against the teen.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) continues to investigate the actions of the LPS member.
