Woman shot and killed by police during mental health call in Calgary's Legacy neighbourhood

A woman died after being shot by a Calgary police officer in the Legacy neighbourhood early Wednesday. The incident began as a mental health call around 1:30 a.m.

Fatal police shooting in southeast Calgary during mental health response

Google News CA — Crime (EN) reports that a woman was shot and killed by a Calgary police officer in the Legacy neighbourhood of southeast Calgary in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Officers were dispatched to the 200 block of Legacy Circle S.E. just before 1:30 a.m. following a mental health call originating from inside the home. Police noted they had interacted with the woman on multiple occasions in recent months.

Approximately one hour after arrival, the woman exited the residence carrying a weapon. Police did not disclose what the weapon was. The situation then escalated, according to police, and an officer opened fire, killing her.

During the incident, a gas meter ruptured and caused a leak. Calgary Fire was contacted around 2:30 a.m. — the same time as the shooting — and crews successfully shut off the gas line. Nearby residents were evacuated but were permitted to return to their homes shortly afterward. One officer was taken to hospital as a precaution due to gas exposure; a second was assessed at the scene.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT), which investigates all police-involved shootings in the province, has taken over the file, as per standard procedure.

Calgary Police Chief Katie McLellan addressed media at a news conference Wednesday, framing the shooting as part of a wider pattern of dangerous encounters facing officers across the city.

"What occurred this morning is just one incident in a string of concerning events where our officers have been confronted with violence, weapons and rapidly escalating threats while responding to calls around Calgary," McLellan said.

She referenced a separate incident earlier this month at Edworthy Park, in which a man fired at officers during a traffic stop before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

McLellan said officers are managing roughly eight firearms-related situations each day and issuing a "code 200" — the signal for an officer in distress — approximately 40 times per month. Wednesday's shooting was the fourth officer-involved shooting in Calgary so far this year.

"Officer-involved shootings are among the most difficult moments we face as a service," McLellan said, noting that officers carry such experiences with them for the rest of their lives.

Source: Google News CA — Crime (EN)