Task force examines whether police shooting was justified
A provincial task force is investigating whether a veteran officer was justified shooting a man three times, killing him, as he tried to ram his way out of a Calgary car wash in a stolen vehicle.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, a task force that investigates all deaths and serious injuries involving police, confirmed that a police officer shot and killed Travis Douglas Oakes, 33, early Wednesday.
The Calgary Police Association identified the officer as Sgt. Dave Jennings, a 20-year veteran of the force who is also a firearms instructor. Jennings has been suspended with pay, pending a review of the case.
Undercover members of the Calgary police High Enforcement Auto Theft Team had been following Oakes, who was wanted for property offences and was known to police, for several hours that day, said ASIRT spokesman Clifton Purvis on Thursday.
Driving a stolen 1986 Chevy Caprice with a passenger, Oakes pulled into a 24-hour car wash in the southwest at about 3 a.m.
As Oakes was standing outside the vehicle washing it, one of the unmarked police vehicles pulled up in the bay next to him. Two officers — one in plainclothes and a second uniformed member of the canine unit with a police dog — got out to arrest him.
Five other members, including Jennings, were stationed in front of both the entrance and exit bay doors, which were closed, said Purvis.
Oakes jumped back into the car and tried to escape, ramming into the police vehicles that had boxed him in.
"In an attempt to flee from the arrest, Mr. Oakes attempted to drive his vehicle through the closed doors of the car wash," said Purvis, adding that the stolen car struck the rear doors of the car-wash bay numerous times, and the front doors twice.
Jennings, who was in plainclothes and standing just outside the exit door facing the stolen vehicle, fired his service pistol.
"He discharged his firearm four times, striking Mr. Oakes three times," said Purvis. He couldn't comment on whether the bullets went through the car-wash bay door, and then the windshield of the stolen car.
Task force promises exhaustive investigation
Eight ASIRT investigators are assigned to the investigation, which Purvis promised would be thorough and professional in uncovering the truth.
"I cannot tell you how long the investigation will take; I can assure you when I say that the investigation will be thorough — what I mean is it will not be done for the sake of expediency and we will make sure that no stone is left unturned," said the Crown prosecutor, who has been seconded to lead ASIRT.
Purvis said ASIRT's investigation will look at whether or not officers were in danger when Oakes was shot.
John Dooks, president of the Calgary Police Association, which represents rank-and-file officers, defended the fatal shooting on Wednesday.
"To prevent him from escaping, to be of greater risk to the officers or to the public, one of our officers used deadly force to stop this person before he endangered any other lives," Dooks said. "Effectively he's using a vehicle as a weapon."