Wrong Suspicions No Defence for Calgary Police, Says Senior Citizen

After reporting the potential sale of stolen goods in the lane behind his house, a Calgary senior citizen was reportedly pulled from his truck, bitten by a Calgary Police Service dog, and attacked by six unnamed Calgary Police officers.

The man has now filed suit against the Calgary Police Service, seeking $500,000 in general damages and an unspecified amount for special damages including loss of income, punitive damages, court costs, and hospital and other medical expenses he incurred as a result of the incident.

What appears to be a serious misunderstanding and overreaction by Calgary Police occurred when the senior citizen called to report the sale of what he thought might be stolen goods from a car parked in the lane behind his house. He gave his own identifying information, then drove to his local church to pick up his 5th-wheel unit.

While in the church parking lot, he was suddenly surrounded by four to five Calgary Police vehicles, a police dog was set to attack him, and multiple police officers forcibly pulled him from his truck onto the ground, where he was knocked unconscious.

The fact that the Calgary Police appear to have mistaken him for a criminal suspect is immaterial, according to the Calgary citizen and his lawyer. He was given no warning, no explanation, and no instructions, let alone a chance to comply with any instructions.

According to the suit filed, the Calgary Police showed egregious and substantial negligence in their actions, in what constitutes a gross overreach of police powers.