Calgary police officer shot during northeast strip mall response, 1 suspect dead

A Calgary Police Service officer was injured, and one suspect is dead, after shots rang out Wednesday in the city’s northeast.

According to CPS officials, officers were executing a warrant in the 5700 block of Falsbridge Drive Northeast at around 1 p.m. During the attempted arrest, gunfire was exchanged between an officer and one of the suspects.

The officer was struck and transported to hospital in stable condition. They were discharged Wednesday evening.

One of the suspects was transported from the shooting scene by ambulance but died a short time later.  A second suspect was taken into police custody.

Emergency crews remained on scene in the McKnight Village Shopping Centre, located in the community of Falconridge, throughout the afternoon and a section of the parking lot was taped off.

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One bullet went through the door of Saleh Hamoud’s barber shop.

“I just hear the yelling, and I was with a client. I see the shot (go) through my glass and I knew something was going on and we hide in the room.”

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Hamoud said he was scared during the incident, but returned to work Thursday morning.

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Acting Deputy Chief Cliff O’Brien told reporters on Wednesday the incident happened in the shopping centre’s parking lot, not inside the complex itself.

He said the suspects were involved in previous firearm-related incidents and there is no threat to the public.

“Public safety is always paramount for us … Our members engage in dangerous situations all the time, that is part of being a police officer,” he said at a news conference on Wednesday evening.

“No police officer starts their shift hoping for this type of incident. No police officer starts their shift hoping a member of the public is dead after an incident like this.”

O’Brien said he anticipates charges will be laid in the next couple of days but did not provide any additional details about the incident.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team has been called in to investigate.

“We’ll have more information for you in the next couple of days,” he said.

Michael Awad, a resident in the area, was driving to visit a friend when he got a panicked phone call from his mother about the incident, which happened steps away from her home. He tried turning into 52nd Street Northeast and McKnight Boulevard but was blocked by police officers and cruisers, so he parked his car across the street and ran home.

He told Global News he saw “over 100 cars and police” at the scene on his way home.

“We just want safety. Everyone should be free to walk around and enjoy life, not stay at home. These are the last few days of good weather,” Awad said.

Heiliekal Sidhu, another resident in the area, said she was coming home when she saw a police officer being shot.

“I was really scared,” she told Global News. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”