Calgary police’s attempt to arrest two suspects ended in a broad daylight shootout in a public square that left one person dead and another injured.
• Also read – A ninth police officer has been killed in the line of duty since September
Calgary police said they deployed their tactical intervention team around 1 p.m. local time on an arrest warrant against two suspects known to police for multiple firearms-related crimes.
“When they tried to arrest the people, there was an exchange of gunfire. As a result, one of our members and a suspect were shot,” summarized Cliff O’Brien, interim deputy chief of the Calgary Police Service.
The injured officer, who has 11 years of experience with the Calgary Police Service, was taken to hospital in stable condition and released several hours later. The suspect who was shot died from his injuries.
The second suspect was arrested. A photo published by the Calgary Herald shows him with a bloodied face, his hands tied behind his back, and surrounded by police officers.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting were unclear on Wednesday evening, including which of the two suspects opened fire on police.
The shooting occurred near stores in broad daylight, with numerous witnesses watching.
A local businesswoman, Trang Lee, told the Calgary Herald that she was not surprised by the shooting. “It is an area where there is a lot of crime. It’s scary because there’s a high school nearby,” she said.
The daily highlighted that police officer Andrew Harnett was killed on December 31, 2020, very close to the crime scene.
Remember that since September 2022, ten police officers have died in the line of duty in Canada in various operations across the country, including Sergeant Maureen Breau of the Sûreté du Québec last March.