Calgary
Machete-wielding man seriously injured during arrest
From The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team
Man seriously injured during arrest by Calgary police
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has been directed to investigate the circumstances surrounding injuries sustained by a 35-year-old man during an encounter with Calgary Police Service (CPS) officers on Sunday, Aug. 25, 2019.
At approximately 4:05 a.m., officers were called to a parking lot of a shopping complex in the 200 block of Shawville Boulevard SE following a report about a man armed with a bat and acting erratically.
ASIRT’s investigation has included the seizure of Body Worn Camera (BWC) video, which is still being reviewed and analyzed. The availability of this type of evidence can provide critical information and context.
Upon arrival, officers located a man near several outdoor picnic tables and pulled up to this location. The BWC video from involved officers confirmed that as a uniformed officer exited a marked police vehicle, the man immediately started moving towards the officer, brandishing a large machete in his right hand and a small folding knife in his left hand, as the officer backed away. At 4:08 a.m., as the man continued to close the distance, the officer fired his service pistol and the man was struck in the lower torso and fell to the ground in a seated position, still armed with both the machete and the knife.
The man continued to wave the weapons while seated on the pavement, as officers continued to try and direct the man to surrender. Attempts to negotiate with the man continued as additional officers arrived. In an attempt to disarm the man, an Arwen less-lethal launcher, which fires plastic rounds, was deployed multiple times — but it didn’t succeed in disarming the man, who refused to drop the weapons. The tactical unit arrived and tried to negotiate with the man, who continued to refuse to put down his weapons. At approximately 7 a.m., tactical officers used a PepperBall launcher, which fires projectiles dispersing pepper powder, and a CEW, commonly referred to as a Taser, to disarm the man. This allowed officers to move in and take the man into custody so his injuries could be safely treated.
The man was transported to hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. It was determined that as a result of this incident he had sustained a broken femur, and penetrating wound(s) as a result of the discharge of the firearm and/or the Arwen less-lethal launcher. Which use of force caused or contributed to the man’s injuries remains part of the ongoing investigation.
Both the machete and the small folding knife were recovered at the scene.
The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo says a “tragic accident” led to the recent death of an adult Masai giraffe. A statement from the zoo says the female giraffe named Emara died May 19 after tangling one of her horns on a cable surrounding her enclosure. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo-Sergei Belskey
Calgary
The Calgary Zoo says a “tragic accident” led to the recent death of one of its adult Masai giraffes.
A statement from the zoo says a female giraffe named Emara died May 19 after tangling one of her horns in a cable surrounding her enclosure.
The statement says a necropsy revealed Emara fell against the enclosure fence and died almost instantly of a broken neck.
Emara, who had just turned 12, came to Calgary from the San Diego Zoo in 2016.
The statement says she was a treasured member at the zoo and was known for her cautious yet curious personality and gentle nature.
The zoo says it is checking fencing within its African Savannah Yard enclosure to see if changes are needed to better protect the other giraffes and animals that share the space.
Doug Whiteside, interim associate director of animal care and welfare at the zoo, said Emara was in her prime and was in excellent health when she died.
“Major life changes such as this not only affect our people but can affect our animal residents as well,” Whiteside said in the statement Monday.
He said the zoo’s remaining giraffes, Nabo and Moshi, are doing well.
Grief counsellors are being made available to Emara’s caregivers and other zoo staff.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2023.
A rural property is seen near Langdon, Alta., Monday, April 10, 2023. A bail hearing for a man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting women in Calgary’s sex trade will be held later this month. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Calgary
A bail hearing for a man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting women in Calgary’s sex trade is to be held later this month after two more complainants came forward.
Richard Robert Mantha, who is 59, faces two new charges of sexual assault and two additional charges of administering a noxious substance.
They are in addition to 13 offences he faces in relation to three women, including sexual assault causing bodily harm.
Mantha appeared in court and a bail hearing was scheduled for May 26.
Police say the women allege they were approached by a man, then drugged and taken to a rural property, where they were physically and sexually assaulted.
Mantha was charged after officers cordoned off a property east of Calgary and brought in cadaver dogs, but police said at the time that no bodies were found.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 12, 2023.
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