A Calgary police officer has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder following a 2023 shooting that left two people dead, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) announced.The charges against Const. Craig Stothard, a 13-year-veteran, stem from a May 29, 2023, incident in which he fired at the occupants of a van on Memorial Drive during a slow-speed pursuit. The incident began that morning about 10:15 a.m. on Manning Close S.E. in Mayland Heights, when a security guard reported three suspicious, drunk men on private property. The men then jumped into a stolen five-ton van and started driving in an erratic and dangerous manner on westbound Memorial Dr..Officers followed the slow-moving vehicle with police vehicles placed in strategic locations to make sure the van didn't get into the heavily populated downtown.Despite efforts to truck was able to avoid being stopped.After 45 minutes one officer discharged their firearm, killing two of the suspects inside the vehicle. A third person was taken into custody.Killed, was the driver Wesley Davidson along with his passenger Levon Fox, 39. Another passenger Dennis Wildman, Fox's brother, survived.The day after the shooting, family members went to the site and held a vigil to demand answers.“We’re gathered here today in his memory to celebrate his life and also to put some humanity into the whole event,” said Lena Wildman, the mother to the brothers, according to Postmedia.“People need to take a step back and remember that these are people. He wasn’t an unwanted person; he was loved.”.ASIRT launched an investigation the same day.After gathering evidence, the watchdog concluded there were reasonable grounds to believe criminal offences had occurred. The case was then handed over to the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service, which determined the evidence met its standard for prosecution.Stothard was formally charged on Monday. He appeared Tuesday in Calgary Court of King’s Bench and was released under conditions.The Calgary Police Association refused comment and CPS would only issue a statement.."On Monday, a Calgary Police Service officer was charged with two counts of second-degree murder following the conclusion of a ASIRT investigation into an officer-involved shooting on May 29, 2023. The officer is currently on leave from the CPS," the force said in a statement."The charges are extremely serious in nature, and we recognize that incidents like this challenge the trust that communities have in the Calgary Police Service, especially indigenous communities. We are committed to listening, learning, and taking every possible step to understand what can be learned from what happened." "We recognize the profound impact that this incident has had on all involved and, on behalf of the CPS, we extend our condolences to the family members who are grieving." ":We are confident in the integrity of the ASIRT investigation and know that our criminal justice system is well equipped to handle this case with the seriousness and fairness it deserves. As this issue is now before the courts and out of respect for all parties involved, we are unable to provide further comment." ASIRT said no further information will be released as the case is now before the courts. The agency investigates incidents involving police in Alberta that result in serious injury or death, or involve serious or sensitive allegations of misconduct.
