A Calgary city councillor says he was “shocked” to hear about charges against him following an alleged road rage incident earlier this year.
Edmonton police have confirmed Calgary Ward 9 Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra has been charged with mischief under $5,000 in connection to the incident on April 2.
According to Carra last April, the whole thing began when a driver ran a stop sign while he was in a crosswalk in Bridgeland, nearly hitting his dog.
Carra said at the time the car was so close, he was “able to tap the bumper with my foot as they sped by.”
That’s when he claims the driver reversed and the two people in the vehicle “began verbally accosting” him.
Calgary police were called to the scene but later turned the investigation over to Edmonton police “in the interest of transparency and best practices.”
Carra voluntarily stepped back from his role on the Calgary Police Commission after revelations of the incident.
The councillor says he learned Thursday that charges would be laid and he plans to fight them.
He told Global News he stands by what he said earlier about the incident and will have more to say later, once disclosure happens.
Edmonton police aren’t saying at this time if anyone else is facing charges.
Duane Bratt, a political scientist and professor for Mount Royal University, said it’s not clear what this will mean for Carra’s seat on city council.
“There are provisions to remove city councillors for criminal convictions, but the threshold is high, involving campaign finance issues or imprisonment of five years or more,” said Bratt.
But he adds it could be politically damaging.
“He narrowly won an election in 2021, and voters don’t typically like their councillors breaking the law.”