“Calgary Police Officer to Stand Trial for Double Murder”

A Calgary police officer accused of two counts of murder has been ordered to stand trial following an eight-day inquiry. Constable Craig Stothard’s preliminary hearing concluded on Tuesday with Justice Mark Mastel determining there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial. Stothard, aged 52, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder in connection to the fatal shootings of Wesley Davidson and Levon Boyce Fox in May 2023. Authorities allege that the victims were in a stolen cube van and that Stothard shot them after a 45-minute low-speed pursuit along Memorial Drive. A third individual in the vehicle, identified as Fox’s brother, was also injured but survived. A ban on publishing details from the hearing was imposed to safeguard Stothard’s right to a fair trial. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team laid charges against Stothard last summer after a two-year probe. Stothard was released on bail awaiting trial and is currently on leave with pay from the Calgary Police Service. The case will transition from Alberta’s Court of Justice to the Court of King’s Bench. Trial dates will be scheduled by Prosecutor Jeff Rudiak and defense attorney Don MacLeod in the upcoming weeks.