'I assumed': Mountie on trial says he trusted information about man he shot
An Alberta Mountie charged in the fatal shooting of a man who had been sleeping in a pickup truck at a rest stop says he trusted information from a fellow officer that the man was wanted as a suspect.
Cpl. Randy Stenger and Const. Jessica Brown have pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter and aggravated assault of Clayton Crawford near Whitecourt, Alta., on July 3, 2018.
A jury has heard that Stenger and Brown shot Crawford 10 times, and the officers have testified that they acted in self-defence.
Stenger says Brown told him the man in the truck at the rest stop was a suspect in a shooting a day earlier in the hamlet of Valhalla Centre.
Crawford's girlfriend was shot in the leg and his purple truck and other vehicles were seen leaving the area, but the jury has heard that Crawford may have been a target in that shooting.
Stenger, under cross-examination by the Crown, told the jury that he believed the information Brown gave him about Crawford being a suspect and that it was the only information available at the time.
"I assumed, I trusted the information," said Stenger, adding it was Brown's responsibility to collect as much information as possible about the man in the truck.
On Thursday, Stenger testified that he had more questions for Brown about the person in the truck as they approached the vehicle at the Chickadee Creek rest stop.
He said, "(Brown) sounded pretty confident that it could have been the target or potential shooter in the vehicle."
Prosecutor Peter Scrutton said there's a difference between a suspect and a target.
"When you learn this contradictory information from Const. Brown -- either shooter or victim -- you’ve got an obligation to clarify before you act," Scrutton told Stenger.
Stenger repeated that he trusted the information Brown gave him.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.