Barkley
10-18-2001, 11:34 AM
Calgary police Constable Darren Beatty, 29, was fatally shot in a training exercise Wednesday. The five-year veteran was involved in a mock up of a high-risk situation.
A probe into the shooting death of a Calgary Police Service tactical team member will centre on how a live bullet came to play a fatal role in a training exercise.Const. Darren Beatty, a five-year police veteran, died just after noon Wednesday after he was mistakenly shot by a comrade during a "dynamic search warrant entry" simulation at a northwest police office.One theory pursued by investigators is that a live bullet was inadvertently left in an officer's gun during the training session."Traditionally in our training exercises we use what is called 'simunition,' which is not live ammunition," said Chief Jack Beaton."In this particular case, I don't know how a live round was discharged and struck (Beatty)."Six members of the tactical team were involved in the mock up at a training centre at the Calgary Silver Springs police station. As part of the building that houses the station, there are several classrooms and training rooms. "Everyone who knew him liked him. He was one of the strong links in the unit," said Insp. Rene Bailly, commander of the Calgary police support section, which includes the tactical unit.Sources told the Herald that Beatty, 29, was acting as the culprit in a hostage-taking simulation when a fellow officer opened fire. A single bullet struck Beatty in the shoulder and lodged in his head and neck area.Police wouldn't comment on the specifics of the exercise. The name of the officer who fired the Glock pistol was not released."Our tactical unit does training on a regular basis because that's their primary responsibility with the service. They were at the facility doing a training exercise as they have always been at that facility," said Beaton at a press conference. Beaton, who said he knew the officer personally, paused several times during the emotional briefing to compose himself."To lose a police officer in a training exercise is unbelievable and tragic."Officers performed first aid on Beatty until an ambulance arrived. He was rushed to Foothills Hospital with a three-vehicle police escort.He died a short time later.Dozens of officers, including members of the tactical unit, raced to the hospital after hearing about the shooting. Many emerged teary-eyed after it was announced Beatty had died."We have a lot of officers who are obviously in a severe state of shock right now, and our association and peer-support people are doing everything we can to assist them as well as their families," said Al Koenig, president of the Calgary Police Association, which represents 1,300 rank-and-file officers."We train for scenarios and unfortunately you can't train without a target, but you don't anticipate that anyone will get injured as a result of it. It's really devastating when the injury is one of your own members and when it's a fatality -- it's catastrophic."At the Silver Springs station, officials lowered the flags to half-mast as homicide unit and professional standards investigators examined the shooting scene and interviewed witnesses. A fatality inquiry into the shooting is expected to be called.Tactical team training typically involves simulations of high-risk situations, such as hostage takings and forced entries while executing search warrants.Calgary police have used the Glock semi-automatic handgun since 1992. The gun holds 15 rounds in its ammunition clip and when the magazine is loaded into the gun, it automatically feeds a single round into the chamber.When the magazine is removed, any rounds still in the chamber must be manually removed.Koenig said accidental discharges have previously occurred, but never in training scenarios."There was never any injury as a result of those," he said.Though a member of the police service since 1996, Beatty's service to the public goes back even further.He used to be a paramedic and was in the midst of training emergency crews to respond to high-risk calls with members of the police tactical team.After graduation from the police academy in 1996, Beatty initially served as a patrol officer in a downtown precinct before joining the service's mountain bike unit in June 1999.He was assigned to the tactical unit in February 2000.He was recently married and had no children. He also leaves behind his parents and a brother."I just met with his wife," said Beaton. "And she, of course, is devastated by this."Darren was a dedicated, valued and enthusiastic young officer whose career with the service was full of promise. He handled himself with maturity and common sense that surpassed his years of experience," said Beaton. "We have lost a man who dedicated his life to helping the citizens of this city, first as a paramedic and then as a police officer."Funeral arrangements have not been completed, but Koenig said the service will include a full honour guard.Beatty is the 11th officer to be killed in the line of duty in the history of the Calgary Police Service.
Copyright 2001 Calgary Herald
A probe into the shooting death of a Calgary Police Service tactical team member will centre on how a live bullet came to play a fatal role in a training exercise.Const. Darren Beatty, a five-year police veteran, died just after noon Wednesday after he was mistakenly shot by a comrade during a "dynamic search warrant entry" simulation at a northwest police office.One theory pursued by investigators is that a live bullet was inadvertently left in an officer's gun during the training session."Traditionally in our training exercises we use what is called 'simunition,' which is not live ammunition," said Chief Jack Beaton."In this particular case, I don't know how a live round was discharged and struck (Beatty)."Six members of the tactical team were involved in the mock up at a training centre at the Calgary Silver Springs police station. As part of the building that houses the station, there are several classrooms and training rooms. "Everyone who knew him liked him. He was one of the strong links in the unit," said Insp. Rene Bailly, commander of the Calgary police support section, which includes the tactical unit.Sources told the Herald that Beatty, 29, was acting as the culprit in a hostage-taking simulation when a fellow officer opened fire. A single bullet struck Beatty in the shoulder and lodged in his head and neck area.Police wouldn't comment on the specifics of the exercise. The name of the officer who fired the Glock pistol was not released."Our tactical unit does training on a regular basis because that's their primary responsibility with the service. They were at the facility doing a training exercise as they have always been at that facility," said Beaton at a press conference. Beaton, who said he knew the officer personally, paused several times during the emotional briefing to compose himself."To lose a police officer in a training exercise is unbelievable and tragic."Officers performed first aid on Beatty until an ambulance arrived. He was rushed to Foothills Hospital with a three-vehicle police escort.He died a short time later.Dozens of officers, including members of the tactical unit, raced to the hospital after hearing about the shooting. Many emerged teary-eyed after it was announced Beatty had died."We have a lot of officers who are obviously in a severe state of shock right now, and our association and peer-support people are doing everything we can to assist them as well as their families," said Al Koenig, president of the Calgary Police Association, which represents 1,300 rank-and-file officers."We train for scenarios and unfortunately you can't train without a target, but you don't anticipate that anyone will get injured as a result of it. It's really devastating when the injury is one of your own members and when it's a fatality -- it's catastrophic."At the Silver Springs station, officials lowered the flags to half-mast as homicide unit and professional standards investigators examined the shooting scene and interviewed witnesses. A fatality inquiry into the shooting is expected to be called.Tactical team training typically involves simulations of high-risk situations, such as hostage takings and forced entries while executing search warrants.Calgary police have used the Glock semi-automatic handgun since 1992. The gun holds 15 rounds in its ammunition clip and when the magazine is loaded into the gun, it automatically feeds a single round into the chamber.When the magazine is removed, any rounds still in the chamber must be manually removed.Koenig said accidental discharges have previously occurred, but never in training scenarios."There was never any injury as a result of those," he said.Though a member of the police service since 1996, Beatty's service to the public goes back even further.He used to be a paramedic and was in the midst of training emergency crews to respond to high-risk calls with members of the police tactical team.After graduation from the police academy in 1996, Beatty initially served as a patrol officer in a downtown precinct before joining the service's mountain bike unit in June 1999.He was assigned to the tactical unit in February 2000.He was recently married and had no children. He also leaves behind his parents and a brother."I just met with his wife," said Beaton. "And she, of course, is devastated by this."Darren was a dedicated, valued and enthusiastic young officer whose career with the service was full of promise. He handled himself with maturity and common sense that surpassed his years of experience," said Beaton. "We have lost a man who dedicated his life to helping the citizens of this city, first as a paramedic and then as a police officer."Funeral arrangements have not been completed, but Koenig said the service will include a full honour guard.Beatty is the 11th officer to be killed in the line of duty in the history of the Calgary Police Service.
Copyright 2001 Calgary Herald