‘Too many deaths’: Indigenous family calls for review of police training – Calgary | Globalnews.ca
Protesters in Calgary are calling for an end to what they say is police brutality against Indigenous people.
Dozens of people who knew and loved Goodstoney First Nation member, Levon Fox, marched from the Calgary Tower to a place along Memorial Drive where the 39-year-old died in a police interaction two years ago.
Fox and other another non-Indigenous man were shot by police on May 29, 2023, after investigators say officers tried to spot a stolen cube van they said was driving erratically.
While family admits that Fox and others inside the van weren’t innocent, they’re calling on the Calgary Police Service to review its threat assessment training.
“Nobody in the vehicle was armed,” said Lena Wildman, Levon’s mother. “They were never given the opportunity to show their hands or identify themselves. [The shooting] shouldn’t have happened. It was drastic measures in the moment that was taken.”
“De-escalation and Use of Force training begins in recruit class and officers must requalify through in-service training on an annual basis,” said CPS as part of a statement to Global News.
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“De-escalation, specifically, is threaded throughout our in-service training, which happens throughout the year and covers many different topics.
“The Service also utilizes a De-escalation and Use of Force Framework that illustrates the elements involved in how an officer assesses a situation and acts to ensure officer and public safety. This includes bringing more visibility to how each call for service is approached and highlighting the value placed on de-escalation. Rather than prescribing specific techniques or responses, the Framework focuses on training officers in adaptive decision-making,” police added.
The report investigating the officers’ response to the incident hasn’t yet been released by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team.
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