Lethal force needed in 2009 car wash shooting, finds inquiry
Travis Oakes shot 3 times as he tried to ram his way out of a Calgary car wash
CBC News
Posted: Mar 19, 2013 11:25 AM MT
Last Updated: Mar 19, 2013 5:11 PM MT
A provincial court judge said in his inquiry findings that there are no recommendations to prevent similar deaths from occurring in the future. (CBC)
Related
Related Stories
External Links
(Note:CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external links.)
A fatality report released Tuesday said the officers that killed a man in 2009 were left with no option but to use lethal force in the police shooting at a Calgary car wash.
Travis Oakes, 33, was shot by police as he tried to ram his way out of a Calgary car wash.
Undercover officers, who had been tailing Oakes for about six hours, determined he was driving a stolen car and followed him to the car wash. Police blocked the entrance and exit with their vehicles.
When two officers tried to arrest Oakes, who was standing near the stolen vehicle, he got back in and repeatedly tried to drive his vehicle through the closed doors of the car wash bay.
After the police cars were rammed for the fourth time, a veteran officer who is also a firearms instructor, fired at the windshield, striking Oakes three times. He died from his injuries.
Provincial Court Judge S.L. Van de Veen said there are no recommendations to prevent similar deaths from occurring in the future.
"Not only was there concern for the officers themselves and their safety, but there was concern for public safety in the event Mr. Oakes was permitted to escape," he wrote in his report.
An Alberta Serious Incident Response Team investigation also concluded no criminal charges were warranted in the shooting. The task force investigates all deaths and serious injuries involving police.
Share Tools
Latest Calgary News Headlines
- Evanston victims died by stabbing, police say
- A man has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder after the bodies of a woman and young boy were found in Calgary's northwest Thursday. more »
- Power outage cost ENMAX $20M
- Despite a power outage last summer that cost ENMAX Corporation $20-million, the city-owned utility told shareholders today that it is in a strong financial position. more »
- Calgary fire ban lifted
- Calgary's Level 3 fire ban was lifted Friday after several days of wet weather. more »
- Alberta to open 6 new trade offices
- Premier Alison Redford has announced the locations of six new provincial trade offices, including a second one in China. more »
Must Watch
Top News Headlines
- Senator Pamela Wallin leaves Conservative caucus
- Senator Pamela Wallin says she is recusing herself from the Conservative caucus while her travel expense claims are under scrutiny. Wallin's departure comes one day after Senator Mike Duffy left the Tory caucus amid controversy over his expense claims.
more »
- Toronto Mayor Rob Ford denies crack cocaine allegations
- Toronto Mayor Rob Ford says allegations he was caught on tape smoking crack are "ridiculous," following reports that someone had been trying to sell a purported recording of such an event to U.S. and Canadian media outlets. more »
- Sailor fighting cancer says AWOL charges dropped
- All charges against a Nova Scotia woman in the Royal Canadian Navy who is fighting cancer, and who was charged with being absent without leave and facing a court martial have been dropped, the woman and her lawyer say. more »
- Should genetic testing for cancer be available to all Canadians?
- The revelation that Hollywood celebrity Angelina Jolie had a double mastectomy as a preventative measure against cancer stoked heated discussion this past week, but one prominent cancer researcher says it demonstrates the need to make genetic testing available to all Canadians. more »
- 12 young leaders changing Canada in this week's Generation Why
- If the number of young entrepreneurs and innovators in Canada is any indication, the generation that came of age alongside the modern web is ready to rethink everything. Meet 12 young people our readers nominated as the most dedicated, impressive, creative and intelligent Canadians under the age of 30 they know. more »
- Danielle Smith asks RCMP to investigate Sandhu
- Evanston victims died by stabbing, police say
- Calgary fire ban lifted
- Lock your doors, police warn
- Power outage cost ENMAX $20M
- Family angry after Calgary police chief defends shooting
- Chat replay: Your gardening questions answered
- Family pet mistakenly included in mass cremation
- Deaths of young boy, woman suspicious, say Calgary police

