BURST
A Calgary police officer has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder in relation to a shooting during a chase on Memorial Drive more than two years ago.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) announced Tuesday that Const. Craig Stothard is charged in relation to the May 29, 2023, incident in which police opened fire on a stolen cube van following a slow speed chase on Memorial Drive.
Levon Wildman, also known as Levon Fox, was one of two men killed, the other being the driver of the vehicle, Wesley Davidson, 46.
The mother of Wildman said she’s been hoping justice will be done for her son.
“I’ve been trying to stay positive through this whole thing,” said Lena Wildman, adding she suspects race played a factor in her son’s death.
“There was no need to use this excessive force, no need to use a gun . . . Levon was cared for and loved, he was a human being.”
While she’s glad charges have been laid, the mother said she still has to hope Stothard won’t receive preferential treatment due to his law enforcement background.
“He should be tried just like any civilian facing criminal charges, not be given favours,” she said.
“Now we’ll have to prepare ourselves for the trial. It’s like opening a wound that was starting to scab over.”
ASIRT launched an investigation after the shooting and concluded there were reasonable grounds to believe criminal offences had occurred.
The case was forwarded to the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service (ACPS), which agreed the evidence met standards for prosecution.
Stothard was formally charged July 14 and appeared in Calgary Court of King’s Bench the following day, when he was released on conditions.
In a statement, CPS acknowledged the charges and said Stothard is on leave from CPS.
Police would not say if Stothard’s leave is paid or unpaid.
“The charges are extremely serious in nature, and we recognize that incidents like this challenge the trust that communities have in the Calgary Police Service, especially Indigenous communities,” CPS said. “We are committed to listening, learning and taking every possible step to understand what can be learned from what happened.”
CPS said it recognizes the “profound impact” of the incident for all involved, and offered condolences to family members of the victims.
“We are confident in the integrity of the ASIRT investigation and know that our criminal justice system is well equipped to handle this case with the seriousness and fairness it deserves,” said the statement.
CPS said since the case is now before the courts, it was unable to provide additional comment.
ASIRT also said it will not release further information.
Family continues to grieve loss of their son, brother and father
Last year, on the first anniversary of his death, Wildman’s family held a vigil near the spot where he died at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Edmonton Trail. He was 39 years old when he died, a father of four and a new grandfather.
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“We’re gathered here today in his memory to celebrate his life and also to put some humanity into the whole event,” Lena Wildman said at the time. “People need to take a step back and remember that these are people. He wasn’t an unwanted person; he was loved.”
Wildman previously said her son was an incredibly kind and giving person who had a deep love for his family.
“He was always looking out for others,” she said in 2024.
Dennis Wildman, Levon Wildman’s brother, was also a passenger in the vehicle; he was taken to hospital in police custody after the incident.
Shooting victim had fallen on hard times, says friend
Wildman was working to break away from struggles with addiction and support his family in the months leading up to his death, his mother previously said. He was waiting to go into treatment at the time of his death.
Wildman was in Calgary to “rescue” his older brother, his mother previously said, and the two were looking for a ride home to Morley.
“They were passengers in that vehicle,” Lena Wildman said in 2024. “The driver offered them a ride and they were thinking, ‘That’s my ride home.’ ”
At the time of the incident, police said a security guard at a private property in Mayland Heights reported three suspicious men who’d fled in a stolen cube van. Police said it was driven erratically as it left the neighbourhood — hitting a barricade and a building — and multiple officers began tailing the vehicle as it travelled down Memorial Drive.
Police at the time said officers attempted to pull over the vehicle and confine it multiple times, but due to “rapidly changing dynamics,” an officer — a 13-year member of the force — discharged a firearm. Witnesses told Postmedia they saw police shoot through the driver and passenger windows of the van.
In 2023, a longtime friend of Davidson’s said the former oilfield worker had fallen on hard times and addiction after a workplace injury in 2008.
But Jody, who didn’t want to give his last name, said he was convinced police didn’t need to kill his friend.
“I could see him going into a convenience store and maybe stealing a sandwich or a chocolate bar — just being in that situation, right? But he wasn’t violent; he was just down on his luck,” said Jody.
Charges against police are extremely rare, says Calgary professor
Mount Royal University criminology professor Doug King says he was “shocked” to learn of the charges in connection with the on-duty shooting.
“It’s really, really rare that a police officer is charged with such a serious offence related to something that they were engaged in (when) doing their duty,” he said. “These things don’t happen in Canada all that often.”
He notes that the police watchdog can recommend charges but it’s ultimately up to the Crown to lay charges.
“The Crown has made a judgment that there’s sufficient evidence to warrant a trial and there’s sufficient evidence in their mind that could lead to a conviction,” King said.
King cautioned the public against jumping to conclusions before the case is heard in court.
“Everyone is entitled in Canadian law to innocence until proven guilty, and I think we have to hold to that,” he said.
“We have to just wait for the case to play out before we form any kind of a judgment as to whether or not the officer is guilty of the charges.”
While King expects many in the public will adopt a “wait and see” approach, he acknowledged that the charges may reinforce concerns for some about police use of force.
“There will be some people within the public that this will reinforce in their minds that police officers can on occasion use excessive force,” he said.