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Calgary man zapped, hit with projectiles before fatally shot by police: watchdog

February 23, 2022  By The Canadian Press


Feb. 22, 2022, Calgary, Alta. – Alberta’s police watchdog says a man killed by Calgary officers was Tasered and hit with less-lethal projectiles from a launcher before two officers shot and killed him.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team says Latjor Tuel was wielding a stick and a knife before charging at officers and a police dog.

In less than 30 minutes after the arrival of police Saturday, a video of the shooting shared online showed Tuel, who was 41, lying motionless on the ground.

Friends and family of Tuel, a Black man born in South Sudan, say he was mentally distressed, and they’ve drawn attention to systemic racism while criticizing police for what they consider an excessive use of force.

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Calgary police Chief Mark Neufeld says police officers responded rather than mental-health workers, because reports said Tuel had assaulted someone in the community.

Neufeld says officers attempted a peaceful resolution for a “significant period of time,” but Tuel refused to surrender his weapons and the situation turned deadly.

“As long as the person is in possession of weapons, and there isn’t a productive dialogue that can actually lead toward the person relinquishing those, that’s a very significant crisis situation,” Neufeld said Tuesday at a media conference.

“(It) makes it very difficult for mental-health professionals or other professionals to do the important work that they do.”


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