ASIRT has confirmed that the woman fatally shot by Calgary police on Deerfoot Trail last Sunday was carrying a knife. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is investigating the officer-involved shooting, which occurred on June 21, 2026, and resulted in the death of an unidentified woman.
Officers Respond to Erratic Driver Reports
Calgary police were called to the Deerfoot Meadows shopping centre after multiple reports of an erratic driver. The driver, a woman, had been involved in several collisions downtown, drove the wrong way on one-way streets, and ran red lights at high speeds. According to a Calgary police inspector, she had been fleeing police for 24 hours both inside and outside city limits.
Officers located the vehicle, a compact SUV, on the northbound side of Deerfoot Trail between Memorial Drive E. and 16th Avenue N.E. at approximately 5:30 p.m. Police used their vehicles to stop the SUV in the far left lane and blocked northbound traffic. Within minutes, southbound traffic was also halted at 16 Avenue N.E., ASIRT reported.
Confrontation and Use of Force
ASIRT stated that initial information from officers indicated the woman had a knife. Officers attempted to speak with her, but she remained inside the vehicle. After about 20 minutes, officers approached the passenger side, broke the front passenger-side window, and deployed pepper spray inside the SUV.
The woman then exited the vehicle and moved toward the officers, according to ASIRT. During the interaction, officers used a projectile launcher and a Taser, and one officer fired a police rifle at the woman. ASIRT noted that the specific sequence of events remains under investigation.
Medical Response and Death
After the shooting, officers moved toward the woman and recovered a knife. Police and tactical emergency medical support provided emergency medical care before paramedics transported her to the hospital in life-threatening condition. She later died.
ASIRT classified the investigation as a level one matter, which involves serious injury or death resulting from police action. The woman has not yet been identified publicly.
