Three charged after arrests made in Calgary car chase

Three people are now facing multiple charges each relating to an incident that ended with a CPS officer firing his gun at one of the suspects.

The incident is currently under investigation by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT), though the Calgary Police Service has released information on the situation that led to the officer-involved shooting.

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According to a release from CPS, at around 4:30 pm on Thursday, July 12, Calgary police officers became aware of a stolen vehicle in southeast Calgary. HAWCS and the Tactical Unit were brought in to assist in the situation, as the two suspects — a 30-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman — were known to have been involved in a series of car prowlings the day prior, and it was suspected that firearms had been involved.

Six hours after the initial spotting of the vehicle, police attempted to make an arrest in the community of Auburn Bay on the 100 block of Autumn View SE. Police officers set up a spike strip to stop the stolen vehicle, but the occupants exited the vehicle and got into a second vehicle that had arrived at the scene.

When police went to stop the second vehicle to make arrests, the situation escalated and a member of the tactical unit used his firearm, shooting one of the suspects, according to the release.

The other two people fled, though were apprehended shortly after.

According to an update from CPS, 22-year old Darcy Benedict, 30-year-old Cole McLean, and 33-year-old Brady Gillingham are all facing charges that include possession of property obtained by a crime over $5,000, failure to wear a seatbelt, and assaulting a police officer with a weapon, among others.

Benedict and McLean are expected to appear in court on July 17, and Gillingham will appear in court on July 18.

The officer who used his firearm during the incident is a 22-year-old member of the Calgary Police Service, and he has since been put on a 30-day administrative leave.

“Although our members are incredibly well trained, their response to stolen vehicles requires them to face dynamic situations and offenders who are persistent in their pursuit of criminal activities,” the release states.

“We are incredibly proud of the work they do each day. Our officers have the full support of Executive and we are always focused on ensuring they have the right training and support in the execution of their duties.”