Last night was a chaotic evening in and around Canmore.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) issued a warning earlier in the evening about poor driving conditions on the westbound lanes of the Trans-Canada Highway near the Lac des Arcs overpass. A collision involving about 15 vehicles had occurred around 7:30 p.m., resulting in minor injuries. Emergency crews were present to assist the injured and clear the wreckage, while the road was down to one lane westbound.
In a separate incident later in the evening, a 26-year-old Canmore resident was shot by a Banff RCMP officer during a traffic stop in Canmore. The suspect and the officer exchanged gunfire, after which the suspect fled the scene by vehicle and then on foot into a wooded area near the Larch area. Police called for assistance from the RCMP’s police dog, emergency response units, and a Calgary Police Service helicopter. The suspect was located shortly after and airlifted to a Calgary hospital with serious injuries.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team is investigating the incident, and no further details have been released at this time. No officers were reported injured in the incident.
At midnight on Saturday, RCMP issued a shelter in place warning for residents to stay in their homes and avoid the area around 11th Ave., between 15th St. and Larch Place, due to the ongoing police incident
A statement was swiftly shared on the Bow Valley Network Facebook group, where police urged the community not to post photos or videos of the operations until the incident was resolved. Thanks to the responsible members of the community this request was honored.
