Three people were injured and four are now in custody after three separate carjackings in Calgary in Saturday. While police don’t have confirmation yet, they believe drug use is the common link between the incidents.
“We have seen behaviour that is consistent with methamphetamine and fentanyl use. Irrational behavior, very violent and very aggressive in dealing with us and those are all signs of drugs,” Staff Sgt. Rob Anderson said at a news conference on Saturday evening.
The first incident started at 5 a.m. near Country Hills Blvd. at Edgepark Blvd when police responded to a report of a man being forced at gunpoint to get out of his vehicle. Two people took off in the Toyota Tacoma truck which police say rammed a police vehicle on 14 St. in Hillhurst before being stopped in the Jubilee Auditorium parking lot. Police say there was an armed standoff between the man in the vehicle and officers that lasted several minutes before a canine unit member took the man into custody. Another male in the truck, believed to be a minor, was also taken into custody.
The second incident started at around noon with officers responding to reports of a man acting erratically and damaging a gas station along 37 St. at 17 Ave. SW. Police say he then approached a vehicle stopped in traffic, opened the passenger door and assaulted a women, forcing her to drive a short distance before he got into an altercation with police and was taken into custody.
The third carjacking took place in the 3400 block of 26 Ave NE near Sunridge Mall, where a couple in their 60s was getting into a 2010 Ford Edge. A suspect approached the owner of the vehicle and took the man’s keys away during a physical altercation. Police say the suspect then got into the SUV and struck the woman and a nearby building before fleeing the scene. The woman was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect was eventually taken into custody just west of Calgary off Highway 8 on Stone Pine Way.
Police say the three incidents are very concerning to them adding that they are starting to see an increase in the level of violence being used.
“To have three separate carjackings in one day is very remarkable and unusual. And the level of risk to the public is significant with that,” Anderson added.
“The use of hard drugs methamphetamine and fentanyl seem to be common denominators. Also in a great number of these vehicles we are regularly seeing firearms, which are causing us to have more concern for public safety and for our members and their tactics in apprehending these people,” Anderson said.
Police credit the professionalism and restraint of the officers for the offenders not being fired upon during these violent incidents.
“Several of these incidents could’ve easily ended up with our members being required to use lethal force but due to their professionalism, training and discipline we were able to resolve them without causing any harm to any of the offenders either,” Anderson said.
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