On Feb. 24, 2023, at approximately 11:15 p.m., a Banff RCMP Officer conducted a traffic stop in the Town of Canmore. During the traffic stop the lone occupant of a vehicle and the officer exchanged gunfire. The suspect fled in his vehicle and then on foot into a wooded area.
The RCMP surrounded the wooded area where the suspect fled. RCMP Police Dog Services and RCMP Emergency Response Team, along with a Calgary Police Service helicopter, were called to assist. The suspect was located a short time later. STARS air ambulance was called and the 26-year-old male, a resident of Canmore, was taken to a Calgary hospital with serious injuries.
No officers were injured during this incident.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has taken over carriage of the investigation.
The Alberta RCMP believes in processes that seek the facts and it's important that processes taken to assess the actions of all those involved, including the police, are fair, transparent, and defendable. This is why, as soon as we became aware of this incident, we immediately notified the Director of Law Enforcement and initiated our internal review process.
Independent of ASIRT's investigation, the Alberta RCMP's internal review process has been implemented to gather a full account of what took place during this incident. RCMP training, policy, police response, and the duty status of the members involved will be subject to review. The Alberta RCMP is, of course, fully cooperating with ASIRT and will not be commenting further on this incident. All media inquiries about this incident should now be directed to ASIRT at 780-641-9099.