Calgary man remains in coma after last month’s police involved shooting

CALGARY – It’s been three weeks since a Calgary man was shot by police in a downtown alley.

According to friends, Morgan Thompson remains in a coma and may not even survive.

Thompson was shot after allegedly yelling  “white power” at a anti racism rally near City Hall.

A group called Anti-Racist Action Calgary was holding its annual rally against racism to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination near City Hall, when the incident happened.

Friends of Thompson’s father are still struggling with why this happened.

The vendors at the the Hillhurst Sunnyside Market Sunday, describe themselves as a tightly knit group.

So when one member suffers a family tragedy, they they all feel it.

Don Thompson normally has a table at the market but hasn’t been around much since his son Morgan was shot by police last month. He’s told his friends there that Morgan is still in a coma after being shot three times.

“It’s your son. Like that’s terrible. It’s terrible I just don’t think it’s fair,” Cathy Olszewski, a family friend said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's your son. Like that's terrible. It's terrible I just don't think it's fair," Cathy Olszewski, a family friend said.

Police say Thompson was followed by officers into an alley  where there was a confrontation. according to ASIRT, the man then pulled out a pipe and threatened an officer.

“I heard that because of where one bullet is, he may be paralyzed for life.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I heard that because of where one bullet is, he may be paralyzed for life."

“It’s shocking for us here because this is like family here everybody gets along with everybody and the demeanor of how they placed Morgan doesn’t fit his demeanor of when he is here. I was skeptical because that’s just not Morgan.” Bill Basque, another family friend said.

People who have known the Thompson family for 15 years are defending the man.

“I was devastated because he is not a racist, because his girlfriend is brown. So I don’t understand it. We have coloured people here and he has never been rude to anybody and he is such a nice guy, he’s an artistic person,” Olszewski said.

“He is not a racist at all. I have a young son that might have said the same thing, might just have been at the heat of the moment – he went “white power” but he was not racist,” Olszewski said.

Thompson’s father still drops by to give updates to his friends on his son’s condition but he now spends most of his time by his son’s bed side just hoping he pulls through.

“Police are here to protect us and they have to protect themselves. If he’s coming after them Its understandable but excessive that was excessive like three shots,” Olszewski said.

ASIRT continues to investigate the shooting.

Witnesses say Thompson started walking away from the rally quickly down Stephen Avenue as police approached him.

Then, an officer in a police car, joined by three recruits, spotted the man on Centre Street.

Police say he walked around the car and into an alley.

“The police officer exited his vehicle and began following the male. The three recruits also exited the vehicle but followed at a distance. The police officer caught up with the male.  There was brief physical contact.  We do know that the officer drew his baton which was recovered on scene,’ Calgary Police Chief Paul Cook said.

Police say the man showed a 40 centimeter long metal pipe he had on him.

The officer then shot the man.

Calgary’s Police chief says ‘an officer in trouble’ call went out and one member was injured and treated on scene.