Former Calgary police officer stole grenades, radio equipment and ammunition, judge hears

A former police officer admitted to stealing tactical grenades, radio equipment, other weapons and hundreds of rounds of ammunition from the Calgary Police Service, a judge heard Wednesday as part of a guilty plea.

Chris Sudu pleaded guilty to possession of an explosive device, possession of prohibited ammunition and possession of prohibited devices — a Taser and a knife. He also pleaded guilty to breaching a no-contact order with his ex wife.

Other charges of voyeurism and possession of stolen property were withdrawn.

The CPS radio equipment seized as part of the investigation had been reported missing in 2017 and was capable of being used for listening to CPS dispatch channels. At the time of the seizure, Sudu had not worked for CPS for three years. 

Explosive munitions seized from Sudu's home were verified by CPS "to be live and active devices," according to an agreed statement of facts presented as part of the former officer's guilty plea.

Voyeurism charge

Justice Karim Jivraj accepted a joint submission from Crown and defence for an 18-month conditional sentence order plus two years' probation. That means Sudu will be allowed to serve his sentence at home. 

Sudu worked for CPS for 24 years, seven of which were with the K9 unit. He went on disability leave in 2017 and formally resigned in 2019, according to the agreed statement of facts prepared by the Crown and defence.

Sudu faced three sets of charges. Several, including voyeurism, were withdrawn after the plea was negotiated between prosecutor Lynda Levesque and defence lawyer Cory Wilson. 

Details of Sudu's crimes come from the statement of facts document.

Lawyer's stamp forged

In 2021, Sudu and his wife, Shelley Kanciruk, split up. She stayed in the home, he moved out.

In January 2022, police were dispatched to Kanciruk's home after a domestic dispute was reported. 

After Sudu left the house, Kanciruk told police she had come across concerning documents.

Kanciruk told officers that Sudu bought a car in the United States in 2019 by forging a commissioner of oaths stamp using Suzanne Turenne's name. She had been a lawyer for CPS.

Sudu used the stamp to commission a "limited power of attorney for the sale of a motor vehicle document," according to the document.

Turenne, who had retired prior to 2019, was not a member of the law society at the time the stamp was used and confirmed to police the stamp bearing her name was a forgery.

Garage full of CPS-issued items

Two months later, Sudu texted Kanciruk asking if he could pick up some of his tools he had left in the garage.

By that point, Kanciruk had an EPO (emergency protection order) against Sudu.

Over the next 10 days, Sudu messaged again, twice to ask for the tools. He also asked for a photo of the items.

On March 26, 2022, Kanciruk went into the garage to take a photo for Sudu. Beside the tool chest, she found an unlocked Taser box, four canisters of grenades and a large pepper-spray canister attached to a dispenser.

She called the Calgary police to report the discovery. 

Four days later, officers showed up at the home and seized a shirt and jackets issued by the CPS K9 unit, CPS radios, a dog training collar, a CPS-issued baton and hundreds of bullets for shotguns, pistols and rifles.

'Active' explosives

They also discovered pepper spray (a chemical irritating agent), a blast dispersion grenade, two pocket tactical grenades and flash bang munition.

"The explosive munitions were later verified by CPS to be live and active devices," reads the document.

Some of the ammunition found in the chest of drawers in the garage was confirmed as being used by CPS for service firearms. 

Seven months after the initial seizure, police obtained a warrant to search Sudu's home.

There they seized magazines — one of which was loaded — a prohibited Taser, a throwing knife and 21 rounds of ammunition.

Sudu was initially charged with voyeurism after police found hidden cameras in his ex-wife's home along with videos that appeared to show someone being recorded without their knowledge. Police did not say who the alleged victim was. 

Those charges were withdrawn Wednesday.

Sudu also pleaded guilty to breaching a no-contact order after admitting he communicated with Kanciruk in March 2023 by texting several times with abusive language.