Officer justified in shooting man with machete at Marlborough Mall: ASIRT

A Calgary police officer was justified in the non-fatal shooting of a 24-year-old man who attacked him with a machete in 2016, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team has ruled.

Police were called to Marlborough Mall in northeast Calgary on the afternoon Sept. 17, 2016, for reports of a fight. One man ran away carrying what looked to be a stick.

The first officer on scene saw a man matching the description run into a Sears store and gave chase.

• Man charged in machete attack that injured policeman at Marlborough Mall

Inside the store, the man suddenly stopped running, turned to face the officer and put his hand into his clothes.

The officer fired his stun gun, but it had no effect on the man, who then pulled a machete and hit the officer several times.

Despite being seriously wounded, the officer was able to draw his gun and shoot the man three times.

Other officers then provided first aid until paramedics arrived.

Both the man and the officer were taken to hospital.

In her ruling released Monday, ASIRT executive director Susan Hughson said "it is possible if not likely that the officer's use of his sidearm saved his life."

"While the subject officer did cause serious injury to the man with the machete, his conduct did not and could not constitute a criminal offence," she said.

The 24-year-old was charged and is now before the courts.

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