Edmonton Uber driver allegedly kidnapped and shot by extortionists

A man was sitting inside his Uber vehicle Saturday evening when he was allegedly kidnapped at gunpoint in southeast Edmonton.

Edmonton police said it happened around 5 p.m. in a restaurant parking lot near 42 Avenue and 66 Street.

It was reported to police that while sitting in his parked vehicle, three unidentified male suspects kidnapped the man at gunpoint, forcing him into a 2019 Dodge Ram truck.

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Police said the suspects drove the man to various locations, including a bank in southeast Edmonton, in an attempt to extort money from him.

One of the suspects then allegedly shot the kidnapped man in the leg, after attempts to extort money from him were unsuccessful.

The abductors then abandoned the injured man in the truck near 128 Avenue and 89 Street in north Edmonton and fled the scene on foot, police said.

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The man’s cries for help were heard by nearby residents, who called the police. The man was taken by paramedics to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The suspects were not passengers of the Uber driver, police said, however the company said what happened is troubling.

“We are concerned for the driver’s well-being and are looking into the situation,” Uber Canada spokesperson Andrew Hasbun said, adding the company has a law enforcement team ready and willing to help police with the investigation.

The company also noted Uber has an emergency button built into the app that both drivers and passengers can use whenever they are logged in to call police.

Police said the investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to call Edmonton police, or anonymously contact Crime Stoppers.