Around 7:30 p.m. yesterday, Wednesday, Jan. 6., 2021, police attended a residence in the area of 111 Street and 78 Avenue under suspicious circumstances. Upon arrival, officers located two deceased individuals. Investigators are treating both deaths as suspicious.
Homicide Section is leading this investigation and no further information is available for release at this time.
Autopsies have not yet been scheduled.
On Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021, Northwest Division officers responded to the report of a shooting in the area of St. Albert Trail and Yellowhead Trail.
It was reported to police that at approximately 5:15 a.m. a white Mercedes sedan travelling westbound on Yellowhead Trail came to a stop at a red light on the off ramp to go south on St. Albert Trail. A dirty, light coloured Volkswagen Jetta in an adjacent lane was also reportedly waiting to go southbound at the intersection. The occupants of both vehicles allegedly made several hand gestures to one another through their closed windows when the passenger of the Volkswagen, described as a Middle Eastern male with a beard, lowered his window and motioned for the male driver of the Mercedes to do the same. As the Mercedes’ driver lowered his window, the Volkswagen’s passenger reportedly produced a firearm and shot at him, narrowly missing the sedan’s occupants and instead striking a dark coloured Dodge Caravan that was waiting at the intersection to travel northbound on St. Albert Trail. The Volkswagen Jetta, described as 2011 or newer, then reportedly fled the scene southbound on St. Albert Trail.
The two male occupants of the Mercedes and the lone male occupant of the Dodge did not report any injuries.
Detectives continue to investigate and are asking anyone with information about the Volkswagen Jetta, its two male occupants or the shooting to contact the EPS. Drivers in the area who may have dash cam footage that was active at that time are also encouraged to contact police. A map of the area and the reported direction of travel of the Volkswagen is included below.
Investigators believe this was a random event and none of the individuals knew one another.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.p3tips.com/250.
Thanks to a tip from the public, Brandon Letendre, 36, was located and arrested on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020. He has since been remanded and is charged with robbery, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public, possession of a controlled substance and other outstanding criminal warrants.
The EPS would like the thank the public and the media for their assistance with this investigation.
Background
At approximately 8:35 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020, Northwest Division officers were called to the report of a stabbing on a transit bus in the area of 112 Avenue and 95 Street.
It was reported to police that a male stabbed a passenger after attempting to steal the passenger’s backpack. The suspect then exited the bus and fled the area on foot.
EMS responded, treated and transported the 55-year-old male passenger to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He has since been released. No other injuries were reported.
The suspect and passenger were not known to one another.
At approximately 3 p.m. today, January 4, 2021, a collision occurred at the intersection of 50 Street and 94B Avenue. An east bound flat deck picker truck and trailer, driven by a 62-year-old male, was turning south on 50 Street from 94B Avenue when it struck a cyclist.
The 64-year-old male cyclist sustained fatal injuries on scene.
MCIS is investigating the collision. Speed is not considered a factor.
Any witnesses to the collision are asked to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone.
Weir will be residing in the Edmonton area. The Edmonton Police Service is seeking a court order on Weir and he will be monitored by the Behavioural Assessment Unit of the Edmonton Police Service.
Weir’s risk of offending behavior increases significantly if under the influence of intoxicants, especially alcohol.
Weir’s violent offences often result in physical harm to his victims and he has been known to carry and utilize weapons in the commission of his offences, especially a knife. Weir is quick to anger, especially if he perceives being challenged, which can escalate to violence very quickly, especially if he is intoxicated. This anger and violence can be directed at anyone that he comes into contact with in the community.
Weir has been placed on a series of court ordered conditions including:
Anyone with any information about any potential breaches of these conditions by Weir can contact the EPS at 780-423-4567.
The Edmonton Police Service is issuing this information and warning after careful deliberation of all related issues, including privacy concerns, in the belief that it is clearly in the public interest to inform the members of the community.
Kelly Samuel Weir, 55
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 195 lbs
Eyes: brown
Hair: black/grey
Members of the public are advised that the intent of this process is to enable citizens to take suitable precautionary measures. Releasing this information is NOT intended to encourage people to engage in any form of vigilante action.
This information is released under the authority of the FOIP Act, RSA 2000, C. F-25.
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The information in this release is that which was verifiable prior to the release time indicated. Continued investigation and review could result in additional information or clarification. |
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Audrey Ramona Beaver, 49, was reported missing to police on Dec. 5, 2020.
Beaver has black hair, brown eyes, stands 5’2” tall and weighs approximately 120 lbs. She has a large tattoo of a cross on her right forearm.
Beaver’s family has not seen or heard from her for several months, which is out of character for her. Police and family are therefore concerned for her welfare. There are no indications of foul play at this time.
Beaver has ties to Slave Lake, but has been living in Edmonton’s inner city. Police have received information that indicates she may have gone to Toronto.
Missing: Audrey Ramona Beaver, 49
Beaver’s cross tattoo on right forearm
Anyone with information regarding Beaver’s whereabouts is asked to contact the EPS immediately at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.p3tips.com/250.
HELP is one of the new additions to EPS’ CSWB. The Human-centred Engagement and Liaison Partnership (HELP) Unit, developed in equal partnership with Boyle Street Community Services, works collaboratively with our partners to off-ramp people to independence and sustained positive outcomes. The Unit navigates individuals to the appropriate service providers before the community members get entrenched or caught up in one of our complex judicial systems. HELP focuses on those individuals at greatest risk for victimization and offending, and at greatest risk and harm to themselves, others, and the community as a whole.
How does HELP work?
HELP is a client-centred, multi-disciplinary approach with navigation being the critical aspect of the response to the client, who will be directly involved in their individual case and care plan. The ultimate outcome will be reflected in the improvement achieved in each individual’s life situation.
EPS Constables team up with Boyle Street Community Services Navigators who have the knowledge and skill set to support community members to provide referrals, follow-ups, and case management plans. This is typically done by utilizing external community service providers. Essentially, HELP will provide the direct link to external partners, thus providing better outcomes for community members. We expect this will reduce demand on EPS’ frontline officers, thus allowing them to better serve the rest of our city and respond to crimes and promote community safety.
Although HELP is officially launching today, the unit has been busy throughout 2020. As the teams of Constables and Navigators formed, they began advocating with numerous external agencies for their support in this new initiative. Over 15 partnering organizations are now supporting us and our goal to change lives by promoting well-being.
With partners onboard, HELP teams began their daily proactive measures, which is the most important piece of this unit. “We’re building relationships between social services and the frontline, as well as the frontline and the community members they’re meeting on a daily basis,” said Navigator Manager Doug Cooke. “This takes many shapes, like casual conversations, responding in a time of crisis, supporting them in their journey or handing out snacks and water as a simple, yet powerful first step in initiating the building of trust among our vulnerable community members.” In many cases, HELP teams build a rapport and discover individual’s basic needs that weren’t being met, or barriers that prevented them from getting support.
“We have given community members a monthly bus pass so they could attend appointments because transportation was their major barrier. Other citizens received assistance completing forms to obtain pension, housing, medical care, or even obtaining identification because they didn’t know who could help them or where to go,” explained EPS’ Social Policing Division’s Acting Superintendent Kellie Morgan. “Then we have the truly heartwarming stories. We’ve helped community members gain keys to their own homes; sometimes it’s the first roof over their head in decades. Others are reconnected with family members across the country and our team assists in getting the community member to their family so they can be surrounded by those who love them and can support them.”
Thanks to the partnership with the Katz Group, HELP and additional EPS units like the Heavy Users of Service, and some of our external partners with shared clients, goals, and outcomes, will move into an integrated site in the spring. This co-location will allow agencies to be better aligned in the supports provided to the community members, which hasn’t been possible until now. “We believe having multiple agencies co-locate will allow us to develop better plans for our clients now that we will be able to collaborate directly with one another. We will look to create efficiencies and avoid duplication of supports, fill in gaps, and ultimately change lives for the better, while ensuring exemplary services to the vulnerable population within our city,” A/Supt. Morgan said.
With the full launch of HELP, the unit will expand into their operational/reactive assistance. HELP will take calls from our officers and provide them with support over the phone, have the officer transport the client to our building, or HELP will send a Navigator directly to the client. This is where we will provide the off-ramp solution to our officers instead of the traditional option of “arrest, charge, repeat”. which simply has not solved the underlying basic humanistic needs that has led this person to this moment. We endeavour to break the cycle and be the voice of influence, as we work in partnership and look to resolve the underlying basic humanistic needs that has led this person to this moment.
