Police seek driver who may have given ride to accused killer Talal Amer
Calgary police want to speak to the driver of a vehicle who may have given accused killer Talal Amer a ride after a shooting and subsequent car crash that claimed the life of a mother of five.
Amer, 29, is wanted on seven Canada-wide warrants, including manslaughter, attempted murder, and five weapons charges.
He is described as being 180 centimetres (5'11") tall and weighing 104 kilograms (230 pounds) with brown hair and brown eyes.
The known gangster has an extensive criminal history including ties to organized crime, an attempted murder conviction and convictions on charges related to drug trafficking and weapons offences.
Police started receiving reports of two vehicles speeding and being driven erratically down 36th Street S.E. and shots being fired just after 11 p.m. on May 10. Several houses were hit by gunfire, however no injuries were reported.
The vehicles, a red 2021 Chevrolet Silverado, which police later said was reported stolen, and a grey 2021 Volkswagen Jetta, collided with two other vehicles at 17th Avenue S.E. One of those was a minivan driven by Angela McKenzie, who was killed. McKenzie left behind five children.
The drivers of the Silverado and Jetta fled, however police were able to locate the Jetta driver nearby, suffering from gunshot wounds and he was taken to hospital.
A Canada-wide warrant was issued for Talal Amer in connection with a fatal crash in Calgary on May 10 that killed Angela McKenzie. Amer is also wanted in connection with gunfire that occurred shortly before the deadly crash. (CPS)
Police later released surveillance photos and video and identified Amer as a suspect. On Wednesday, investigators said they believe he may have been given a ride in a vehicle that was parked near 17th Avenue and 36th Street S.E., and that driver may not have known about the collision.
"We believe that a citizen may have acted as a Good Samaritan and provided Amer a ride without knowing about the tragedy that had just occurred," says Staff Sgt. Sean Gregson of the homicide unit.
"Based on the interaction with Amer, we don’t believe this individual was connected to the incident, however they may have important information that could help us locate Amer."
Investigators say they also believe some people are assisting Amer in continuing to evade capture.
"This is a tragic case and we are dedicated to locating him in order to bring justice for Angela’s family. Conversely, we will seek to hold all individuals accountable who may be helping Amer avoid being taken into custody," said Gregson.
"Individuals who are knowingly assisting Amer could be charged as an accessory to his crimes."
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the non-emergency line at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.