Calgary police have asked the RCMP to conduct an independent investigation into how two teenage brothers were arrested and charged in a shooting that left a man dead and two other people injured. Police vehicles at Calgary Police Service headquarters in Calgary on Thursday, April 9, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Calgary police have asked the RCMP to conduct an independent investigation into how two teenage brothers were arrested and charged in a shooting that left a man dead and two other people injured.
Police had charged a 14-year-old boy earlier this month with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder, while his 18-year-old brother was charged with accessory after the fact.
All of the charges were stayed by the Crown after homicide investigators received new video evidence on the case that suggested they weren’t responsible for the crime.
Both brothers had been custody for about a week.
Police Chief Mark Neufeld apologized to the brothers, their families and the community last week and promised an independent review into what happened.
Neufeld told a Calgary Police Commission meeting Wednesday night that the review by the RCMP would also consider issues such as racial profiling.
Calgary police said in a statement Thursday that it’s vital the service do everything it can to regain any lost trust.
“As part of our commitment to accountability, we have asked the (RCMP) to conduct an independent investigation into the full circumstances,” it said.
The statement said the scope of the review is still being determined.
“We are confident it will be thorough and include looking at if there were any racial biases that led to the arrest and charge,” it said. “We are committed to any learning that may come from it.”
The statement added that Calgary officers are highly skilled and trained.
“This incident is an extremely rare situation, but that does not lessen the impact these charges will have had on these males and the entire community.”
The teenage brothers were arrested and charged the day after a Nov. 13 shooting in the parking lot of a Calgary mall. Police found 23-year-old Rami Hajj Ali dead and two others injured.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2023.
