Local businesses react to brazen daytime officer-involved shooting
Wednesday is a day Max Belmonte will never forget. "It just happened so quick," the manager of Trail Tire Auto Centres said. Businesses across the country have reacted to a daytime shooting involving a police officer, Max Belmonte, and a second suspect. The shooting occurred just before 3 p.m. on Wednesday, with one officer struck, one suspect dead and another taken into police custody. The incident occurred during an attempt to arrest two individuals wanted for several firearms-related offences. The other suspect was pronounced dead at hospital. The officer was an 11-year member of the police service and is expected to face charges this week.
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Wednesday is a day Max Belmonte will never forget.
"It just happened so quick," the manager of Trail Tire Auto Centres said.
"I was sitting behind my desk and I heard three pops. I saw a little bit of smoke coming from where I heard and I looked through and all other police came in and converged where the shooting started."
Belmonte had a perfect line of sight to a daytime shooting that ended with one officer struck, one suspect dead and a second suspect taken into police custody.
"I asked my guys to hide, protect themselves, which I did along with the customers," Belmonte said.
Belmonte says he is still shaken up by the events that unfolded on Wednesday.
"Quite an experience," he said.
Max Belmonte, manager of Trail Tire Auto Centres, had a perfect line of sight to a daytime shooting that ended with one officer struck, one suspect dead and a second suspect taken into police custody.
Belmonte says the deadly shootout happened just before 3 p.m.
"Being in my position and with customers in there, I had obviously our safety, customers' safety and once after all that happened, after all that, they started putting up police tapes," he said.
"Once that was going up, I figured, OK, everything must be OK, and we locked down the base."
Police say they were attempting to arrest two individuals wanted for several firearms-related offences around 1 p.m. in the 5700 block of Falsbridge Drive NE.
"Which is why our tactical unit was present for the arrest," Acting Deputy Chief Cliff O’Brien said.
"It's never easy when one of our own is hurt while answering the call to serve Calgarians each and every day."
O'Brien says the officer is an 11-year member of the service, but would not say which unit they worked with or release their name.
He expects charges to be laid this week against the man taken into custody.
The other suspect was pronounced dead at hospital.
Saleh Hammoud, owner of the Falconridge Barber Shop, says he heard the gunfire taking place outside his store but didn't see it.
He was cutting a customer's hair when a bullet pierced one pane of glass in his front door.
"When they shoot my glass, for sure, it's scary," he said.
"We have to hide, there is no choice."
Saleh Hammoud, owner of the Falconridge Barber Shop, says he was cutting a customer's hair when a bullet pierced one pane of glass in his front door.
Hammoud says his client ran and hid, while he went behind the cash register and stayed down.
"This is idiot people," he said.
"They have to be bad people, they shoot the police."
Hammoud says it was a bullet from a police officer that pierced his front door and that he's thankful for double-paned windows.
He's hopeful the city will pay for a new door.
The struck police officer has been released from hospital.
Police would not say what the operation entailed and the province's police watchdog, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT), is investigating.
Topik: Crime