Man was chased and gunned down in middle of Memorial Drive, jury told

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Calgary man Jesse George was chased out of a southeast home and shot once in the neck, a city jury said Thursday.

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In her opening statement before a 14-member King’s Bench jury, Crown prosecutor Tiffany Dwyer said George was fatally shot in the middle of a busy Memorial Drive SE

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And Dwyer said homicide suspect Martin Wallace Yuen provided the deadly weapon and homicide suspect John Edward Tabler pulled the trigger.

The prosecutor said George and his brother, Dwayne Crazyboy, went to Yuen’s residence at 5227 Memorial Dr. shortly before 10:00 p.m. on the evening of March 27, 2021.

“They both wanted to talk to Mr. Yuen,” Dwyer said.

“They entered the house and sat down in the living room and joined others who were already in the room.”

But the new guests were not welcomed by Yuen, who was in the basement, but came upstairs and started arguing with George.

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“Less than 20 minutes later, Jesse George lay dead on Memorial Drive SE after being shot in the neck.”

Dwyer said when Yuen emerged from the basement, he was armed with weapons, including a loaded firearm, which he handed to Tabler.

“Together they chased Mr. George out of the house, down a driveway and onto a busy Memorial Drive,” she said.

“I expect that the evidence will show that Mr. George of Mr. Yuen and Mr. Tabler retreated as they continued to follow while Mr. Yuen on Mr. George shouted.

“Mr. Yuen was closer to Mr. George who was yelling and Mr. Tabler was behind Mr. Yuen with the firearm. With Mr. Yuen still yelling, Mr. Tabler raised the loaded firearm that Mr. Yuen had given him , aimed it at Mr. George and fired one shot and Mr. George fell to the ground.”

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Dwyer said among the witnesses she will call during the scheduled three-week trial are individuals who were simply minding their own business when the tragic events unfolded on the busy road.

Among them will be Yuen’s next-door neighbor, who was checking out a food delivery order when George was fatally shot.

“The Crown intends to argue at the end of the case once you have heard all the evidence that it is Mr. Yuen was the one who started the events of that night, the one who raised the tension and brought the loaded firearm into the situation and gave it. to mr. Tabler,” Dwyer said.

“He knew Mr. Tabler was behind him with a loaded firearm as they chased Mr. George out and down the road.”

Both Yuen and Tabler pleaded not guilty at the start of the trial.

KMartin@postmedia.com

On Twitter: @KMartinCourts