Calgary officer charged with second-degree murder appears in court for preliminary hearing

A Calgary police officer charged with two counts of second-degree murder appeared in court Monday for the start of a preliminary hearing into a May 2023 shooting that killed two men.

Const. Craig Stothard is accused in the deaths of Levon Fox and Wesley Davidson. The shooting occurred during a slow-speed pursuit in northeast Calgary after officers began following a five-tonne cube van that had been reported driving erratically throughout the city.

Police said a security guard in Mayland Heights had called to report three suspicious people on private property. The van fled the scene, triggering multiple calls about dangerous driving. Officers located the vehicle and initiated a slow-speed chase along Memorial Drive, blocking several roads to prevent the van from entering residential areas or downtown.

After attempts to stop the vehicle near St. George's Drive failed, the van continued toward officers. Police said at approximately 11 a.m., due to "rapidly changing dynamics," one officer discharged their firearm, killing Fox and Davidson. Fox's brother survived.

Following a more than year-long investigation by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) — including examination of body-worn cameras, police helicopter footage, and public video — ASIRT recommended charges be laid.

Testimony at the hearing is under a publication ban. The preliminary hearing is scheduled to last up to 10 days. At Monday's hearing, Fox's mother Lena Wildman expressed hope the family would learn details about what occurred. "We know there's so many things that could have been done differently," she said. "The threat assessment especially. It's so unreal. My son and the other person, they didn't have to die."