Mountie won't be charged in shooting of teen with stolen RCMP gun
A Mountie whose gun was stolen and used in the shooting of a Winnipeg teen last fall won't be charged.
Winnipeg police Const. Rob Carver told reporters at a news conference Tuesday that investigators found no grounds to charge the officer with improper storage of a weapon.
Calli Vanderaa, then 16, was shot in the upper body on Oct. 24, 2015, in Windsor Park at Autumnwood Drive and Winakwa Road.
Vanderaa was in a vehicle at the time with friends when an argument broke out between another occupant and two males outside the car, one of whom shot Vanderaa with what turned out to be an RCMP-issued gun.
She was taken to hospital in critical condition and her condition later improved.
The same evening, Winnipeg police received a report from RCMP stating a gun belonging to one of its sergeants had been stolen. The gun was reportedly stolen from the off-duty officer's cruiser, which was parked at his home, the night before the shooting.
Keys to the vehicle were stolen from his house while he and his family slept and used to access the gun, a statement from the sergeant said.
The Winnipeg Police Service Major Crimes Unit investigated the circumstances surrounding the firearm theft and shooting, and the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba monitored that investigation. Manitoba Justice then reviewed the case and determined "criminal charges were not supported, and as such no charges will be laid against the RCMP member," Winnipeg police said.
Two male suspects were arrested in the shooting last fall. One suspect — a 22-year-old Winnipeg man — was charged with two counts of attempted murder, a number of weapons-related offences, theft under $5,000 and mischief under $5,000.
Vanderaa and her family sued the RCMP and the sergeant in January.
Earlier this month, RCMP said the sergeant's gun had been locked securely in the cruiser at the time.
