Evidence markers filled the sidewalk in front of a Victoria Park high rise as police officers investigated what lead to the death of a young man early Sunday morning in Calgary’s inner city.
Police were called to 15 Avenue just west of Macleod Trail S.E. at 2 a.m. A man in his 20’s was found in medical distress and was taken to hospital, where he died.
By around 9:30 a.m., a second crime scene was established a short distance away, across from the Victoria Park/Stampede C Train station. A black chair with evidence markers surrounding it was in the centre of the taped-off grassy area.
By mid-afternoon, a heavy police presence remained as the area was flooded by runners leaving the Calgary Marathon course.
Investigators with the Calgary Police Collision Reconstruction Unit were on the scene conducting measurements of the area and working around what appeared to be blood on the sidewalk.
“I didn’t hear anything last night,” said Natalie Henderson, who lives in the building next to the taped-off area. “We hear everything every night, so it’s not usually anything out of the ordinary to hear commotion.”
People who live in the area say they are used to hearing yelling and screaming during the night.
“There’s lots of fights,” said Kyle Brittain. “There’s drug dealing going on all the time. My wife and I have actually come out on the street and washed people off that were covered in blood. Just a pretty typical scenario here on 15 Avenue.”
The crime scene is located across the street from the Alpha House, an addiction treatment facility.
“I don’t think there’s much that can be done about it. The volunteers that work here are really good at doing what they do and monitoring the situation. The police are always here, the peace officers are always here,” said Brittain.
Despite the police activity and the night noises, residents say they are comfortable with their neighbours across the street.
“I actually feel pretty safe here,” said Henderson. “They’re always quite kind or they’ll just ignore you completely. It is what it is. I understand people need help and it has to be somewhere. It’s a great location to be and we enjoy living here.”
Police aren’t saying how the man died or if any weapon was recovered.