Calgary officer to stand trial for murder charges after 2 dead in police chase

Const. Craig Stothard, a 52-year-old Calgary police officer, is set to stand trial for two counts of second-degree murder. This comes following the fatal shooting of two individuals involved in a police chase that occurred on May 29, 2023. The judge has ordered the trial to take place after a preliminary inquiry, which is conducted to ascertain if sufficient evidence exists to warrant a trial proceeding.

Stothard was charged in connection to the deaths of Wesley Davidson and Levon Boyce Fox. He is currently on leave from the police service. The incident began when police were alerted to suspicious individuals on private property. Upon their arrival, the suspects fled in a stolen cube van.

Video footage of the chase revealed the vehicle being pursued at a slow speed by multiple police vehicles. Police authorities at the time cited "rapidly changing dynamics" as the reason one officer opened fire on the van's occupants. The two victims have been identified as Wesley Davidson and Levon Boyce Fox.