Man shot by Calgary police charged at officers with large spike: Police watchdog

ASIRT said the suspect emerged from a stall and charged at one of the officers while raising a three-foot-long spike. (ASIRT)

Alberta's police watchdog has shared new details in a Valentine’s Day investigation that saw one man shot and killed by Calgary police.

Officers were called to an abandoned commercial building in the 3000 block of Second Avenue S.E. at 4:20 a.m. for reports of a break-and-enter.

Investigators searching the building encountered one man inside.

Police said he was shot after he physically assaulted an officer with a weapon.

The shooting proved fatal. Family identified the deceased as 34-year-old Mitchell Croston.

As with all police-involved shootings in the province, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) was directed to investigate.

SUSPECT HAD THREE-FOOT-LONG SPIKE

Calgary police and security guards are seen outside of a building in the Franklin Industrial Park after one person was shot and killed on Feb. 14, 2023. On Wednesday, ASIRT shed new light on the incident, saying five officers were investigating the break-and-enter at the time, all of them wearing body-worn cameras.

According to ASIRT, the officers heard shouting coming from inside a washroom, and shouted at the suspect to come out.

When the suspect didn't exit, the officers went inside. Two of them had their Tasers ready and one had his gun drawn.

ASIRT said the suspect emerged from a stall and "charged at one of the officers while raising a three-foot-long spike."

Two officers deployed their Tasers but didn't hit the suspect.

Another officer shot him.

"Before being struck, the (suspect) hit one of the officers with the spike, causing minor injuries," ASIRT said.

The suspect was treated and the scene but succumbed to his injures.