RCMP Watch

Dan Singleton, Calgary Herald

A male RCMP officer was rushed to hospital in Calgary on Thursday morning after being shot in the lower leg by a fellow officer during a raid on a rural home.

He is expected to make a full recovery, police said.

The officer, who has not been named, was wounded when officers stormed a mobile home two kilometres west of Sundre, a town located about 100 kilometres northwest of Calgary.

Police were executing a search warrant for illegal weapons.

The officer, who has been a member of the Emergency Response Team for about 10 years, was taken to Calgary by ambulance.

RCMP Cpl. Rob Lidgett said he spoke to the wounded officer before he went into surgery.

“He’s doing well,” said Lidgett. “The bullet hit one of the bones in his (leg). He’ll be fine. He was pretty much medicated, but he’s in good spirits and everyone is with him.”

The officer was hit by a .223-calibre round from the fellow officer’s Colt M-16 rifle, he said.

“It was an accidental discharge,” he said.

“Our officer had the weapon down in the manner it should be. The member is not at fault, it’s just that those things happen when things are happening so quickly.”

A man in a small house adjacent to the mobile home fired several shots through a wall during the police raid before surrendering. There were no injuries in that shooting.

Five people were detained at the scene, with one man arrested for firing the shots.

“I wouldn’t say it was a gun fight, but the suspect obviously had barricaded his house and by the time the ERT members got in there, and they were yelling, ‘Police, police, police, search warrant,’ he decided to shoot and narrowly missed the officers,” Lidgett said.

“He surrendered after shooting. He didn’t have anyone shoot at him. As soon as he shot, he surrendered.”

About 15 officers members of the Calgary and Red Deer RCMP ERTs were involved in the raid. ERTs are comprised of RCMP members specially trained and armed to respond to high-risk situations.

Homeowner Michele Hengen, who lives about 100 metres from the scene, said she woke up to the sound of gunfire.

“It’s alarming that it can happen so close to home,” said Hengen. “It hasn’t seemed to be dangerous living here.”

RCMP Sgt. Patrick Webb said an investigation will be conducted into the shootings.

“Why (the officer’s) weapon went off, whether it was a weapon malfunction or it caught on a piece of equipment or what, is part of the investigation,” said Webb.

Police seized at least one weapon from the scene, he said.

Sundre RCMP detachment commander Sgt. Percy Leipnitz said several people are in custody and charges are pending.

RCMP Cpl. Jim Galloway, an Edmonton ERT member, was the last Alberta ERT member to be shot in the line of duty, said Lidgett.

Galloway was killed during at standoff in Spruce Grove, Alta., on Feb. 28, 2004.