What led Calgary police detectives to wrongfully charge two young teenage brothers with a homicide late last year?
The findings of an independent review by RCMP’s K Division have been released and conclude there was no evidence of systemic bias, or racial discrimination in the case.
Two brothers, aged 14 and 18, were arrested and charged in the fatal shooting in the parking lot of the Trans Canada Centre near 52 Street NE and 16 Ave NE.
Investigators said they were charged based on witness information including clothing, what vehicle they were driving, and skin colour.
The shooting left a 23-year-old man dead, and also left another man and a woman injured. Police said it was targeted and connected to an ongoing organized crime conflict in Calgary.
The Crown stayed the charges against the two days later after video of the shooting surfaced online. It prompted a public apology from police chief Mark Neufeld.
CPS asked for the RCMP to conduct an independent review, the results of which “found the homicide investigation to be legally compliant, reasonable, ethical, and carried out without inappropriate influence or bias.”
The findings say the decision to lay charges against the pair were made as a collective, and not by an individual or small number of people.
“The specific witness descriptions of the offender’s appearance, clothing, and vehicle meant that there was a very low likelihood of encountering another individual matching the description,” reads the findings.
Neufeld says the review highlights areas the force needs to improve, including better communication and coordination at the crime scene.
“I want to underscore that we recognize the impact of this event on the two young men charged, their family, and the community,” he says in a statement. “I reiterate the public apology I have made in this regard.”
“This event has also profoundly impacted CPS and we will be making positive improvements to our processes as a result.”