Reasonable grounds but no charges coming for Calgary officer who shot suspect: police watchdog

A Calgary police officer who opened fire on an SUV containing two suspects, one of whom had just taken shots at him, won’t be charged. (Courtesy ASIRT)

A Calgary police officer who opened fire on an SUV containing two suspects, one of whom had just taken shots at him, won’t be charged.

However, Alberta’s police watchdog says that doesn’t mean there weren’t “reasonable grounds to believe an offence had been committed.”

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) released its findings Wednesday.

According to ASIRT, the officer responded to a home invasion call around 1:30 a.m. on March 23, 2019.

He was approaching on foot, ASIRT says, when two suspects drove off in an SUV.

ASIRT says the driver kept going as the passenger fired a sawed-off shotgun at the officer.

“(The officer) returned fire, initially discharging four rounds as the vehicle was approaching him and another six as the vehicle was being driven away from him,” ASIRT’s report reads.

“(The vehicle) crashed into a residence a short distance away very soon after (the officer) had fired his last shot.”

ASIRT says the driver was shot once in the back and that his injuries were serious but not life-threatening.

And ASIRT says the passenger wasn’t struck.

According to ASIRT, the shots the officer fired in immediate response were reasonable.

The shots he fired after were questionable, ASIRT says.

“Four were fired over two to three seconds, followed by a two to three second pause, and then six more shots over an additional two to three seconds,” the report reads.

“There is no doubt (the officer’s) initial actions were reasonable. As (the suspect) drove further away, this became less clear.”

ASIRT says it’s “of the opinion the investigation provided reasonable grounds to believe an offence had been committed.”

The Crown’ office, which also looks at likelihood of conviction, “did not recommend that charges be laid.”

As a result, ASIRT says, “There will be no charges laid.”