The defense lawyer for an Alberta Mountie charged with manslaughter says her client relied on the reactions of his colleagues before firing four shots at a man he thought was the suspect in a shooting the day before.
Cpl. Randy Stenger and Const. Jessica Brown is accused in the fatal shooting of Clayton Crawford on July 3, 2018, near Whitecourt, Alta., northwest of Edmonton.
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Lawyers tell jury Mounties acted in self-defense in fatal Alberta shooting
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Lawyers tell jury Mounties acted in self-defense during fatal shooting in Alberta
Stenger’s attorney, Mona Duckett, told the jury his position was that of reasonable and necessary self-defense.
Last week, the jury heard Crawford suffered 10 gunshot wounds and that Brown fired her carbine eight times, while Stenger fired his pistol four times.
Whitecourt RCMP were notified of the sighting of a purple pickup truck at a rest stop that was seen fleeing the area of a shooting, but there was confusion as to whether the driver was considered a target or suspect.
Duckett says that officers did not jump to conclusions and that they made inferences with the information they were given.
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Alberta Mountie charged with manslaughter tells jury she feared for her life
Stenger admitted in his testimony last week that he fired shots at Crawford when he tried to flee the rest area after being approached by armed officers with body armor.
“He did as he was trained,” Duckett told the jury. “This is not criminal conduct.”
She said her client’s response “was his only option to preserve the lives he believed were in danger.”
The jury was also told that when Brown and Stenger approached the truck, the man appeared to be asleep in the driver’s seat.
Brown testified she saw Crawford get between his legs. A third officer broke the driver’s window with a baton and there was a struggle.
Brown said Crawford started the truck and started backing up. She said she thought he was using the truck as a weapon and she feared for her life and the lives of her colleagues.
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Alberta Mountie on trial says he trusted information about the man he shot
“This incident got out of control because of the actions of the driver,” Duckett said.
Stenger testified that Crawford tried to run them over, and it was an automatic reaction for him to fire his gun.
© 2022 The Canadian Press
