ASIRT clears officers who fatally shot 'prolific car thief' who was high on meth

Calgary police officers who shot and killed a "prolific car thief" who was high on meth have been cleared of wrongdoing by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT).

Terry Weinmeyer, 49, died in November 2016 after he was shot four times by two Calgary officers.

One of his brothers has described him as a "very good man with a big heart." He grew up in Bowness, according to an online memorial.

"It's a terrible way to lose a child, it's a terrible way to lose a sibling," said ASIRT director Susan Hughson at a press conference Thursday afternoon.

But Weinmeyer's conduct "presented a real risk of death to the officers and others," said Hughson in announcing ASIRT has cleared the two officers of any wrongdoing.

At the time of his death, police called Weinmeyer a "prolific car thief" who was a high risk to himself, police and the public. The Calgary Police Service said he was known to flee officers and carry weapons.

Just two weeks before he was killed, Weinmeyer was charged with two counts of possessing stolen vehicles. He was released on the condition he not be in a motor vehicle without its registered owner.

Fatal shooting

On Nov. 22, Weinmeyer was spotted driving a stolen truck and became the subject of police surveillance.

As he came out of a fast food restaurant at the Bowmont Shopping Mall, police officers, who had blocked the stolen truck into its parking spot with an unmarked CPS vehicle, tried to make an arrest.

But Weinmeyer ran toward the truck and got in the driver's seat before officers could stop him.

Throughout the encounter, he ignored police commands, according to witnesses and video recorded from the cruiser video

With one officer trapped between the truck and another parked vehicle, Weinmeyer threw the truck in reverse and "gunned it," putting the police "in immediate jeopardy of grievous bodily harm or death," said Hughson.

Two officers — the one who had been trapped and another at the front of the truck — opened fire on the driver. After five shots were fired, the officers pulled Weinmeyer out of the truck and provided medical care until paramedics arrived.

The entire incident "escalated quickly" and police "did not have the luxury of time, opportunity or alternatives," said Hughson.

Weinmeyer's condition deteriorated in the ambulance and he was declared dead shortly after arriving at hospital.

A toxicology report confirmed "significant" amounts of methamphetamine in Weinmeyer's system.

ASIRT investigators frequently see a connection between drug use and the critical incidents the agency investigates because high suspects often show a lack of impulse control and poor decision-making.

"These drugs play a significant role in how these events unfold," said Hughson.

There were at least 10 officer-involved shootings in 2016, making for a busy year for ASIRT and creating a backlog of cases to investigate.

Hughson says the agency is "making headway" in addressing that backlog.