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About the CPS
Our Mission:
"To optimize public safety
in the City of Calgary"
Remember These Officers Who Died In The Line Of Duty
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Officers who have fallen in the line of duty are remembered at the Interpretative Centre
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In the history of the Calgary Police Service, 11 officers have lost their lives in the line of duty. Six were gunned down and five were victims of tragic accidents. Their fellow officers and the citizens of Calgary will always remember them as devoted police officers who made the ultimate sacrifice for the protection of their community.
1917 - Constable Arthur Duncan
 At 4:40 a.m. on July 2, 1917, a citizen found the body of Constable Arthur Duncan, the first Calgary police officer to die in the line of duty. The constable had taken a bullet in the jaw and another in the chest. Evidence at the scene suggested that Duncan surprised the culprits while they were attempting to recover stolen property that they had hidden under a building. He had never even pulled his weapon.
Constable Duncan had reported to headquarters at midnight. When he failed to make his routine calls at 1 a.m. and 2 a.m., his sergeant began a search. Despite the evidence at the scene and the offer of a $1,000 reward, the killer was never found.
At 39, Constable Duncan had been on the force for six years. Before that, he had been a police officer for 12 years in Scotland. He was survived by his wife and a young son.
1933 - Inspector Joe Carruthers
 The third ranking officer on the force, Inspector Joe Carruthers, was killed on June 13, 1933 when he confronted a burglary suspect in an alley. As the officer raised his flashlight, the suspect opened fire. A bullet passed through Inspector Carruthers' chest and he died almost immediately.
Despite an intensive search, the shooter was not found. Three months later, a .32 calibre revolver, believed to be the murder weapon, was retrieved from the North Saskatchewan River. In 1957, 24 years later, a Calgary Herald article claimed that Inspector Carruthers' killer was "hopelessly insane" and a patient at a mental institution. The man's identity was never released nor his guilt proven.
When he died, Inspector Carruthers was 46 years old and about to marry for the first time.
1941 - Constable Wilf Cox
 An unfortunate accident claimed the life of the third Calgary police officer to die in the line of duty. Constable Wilf Cox was on his way to direct traffic for a funeral on May 23, 1941, when his motorcycle tire got caught in a street railway track. He was thrown to the ground and died while being transferred to the hospital.
Constable Cox was only 32 years old and on the force less than eight years. He was the armourer for the police, making ammunition for use in target practice. He was an expert shot and taught many of the younger members. He was remembered as an officer who was "exceptionally good at catching criminals."
1957 - Constable Ken Delmage
 On his way to investigate an accident on November 4, 1957, Constable Ken Delmage's motorcycle collided with a vehicle at a downtown intersection. He died in hospital two days later. Following the constable's death, motorcycle officers were required to wear safety helmets.
Constable Delmage was 27 years old when he died and had been on the force just over two years. He was survived by his wife and two young children.
1974 - Detective Boyd Davidson
 On December 20, 1974, a concerned storekeeper reported that a customer had become abusive when he refused to sell him airplane glue. When officers approached the residence of Philippe Gagnon, they were met with gunfire.
Backup units arrived to find the man hiding in a garage with an automatic rifle and plenty of ammunition. In the shootout that followed, Detective Boyd Davidson died from a shot in the neck while six other officers were wounded. Gagnon, who had a long history of mental illness and drug abuse, also died at the scene after being flushed from the garage by a Canadian forces armoured personnel carrier. Because Gagnon's nose was lined with glue, tear gas was ineffective.
Detective Davidson was 43 years old and a 23-year veteran of the force. He was instrumental in the creation of the combined police and fire arson squad and was known for his expertise. Detective Davidson was survived by his wife and five children.
A review of the tragic and volatile incident accelerated the formation of a special tactical team to respond to emergency situations.
1976 - Staff Sgt. Keith Harrison
 On March 12, 1976, Staff Sergeant Keith Harrison was alone in his car when he responded to a hold-up alarm at a nearby credit union. He was unable to request backup because of a radio malfunction, but he attempted to follow the culprits' vehicle as it left the scene. Realizing they were being followed, the offenders pulled over to force a confrontation with the plain-clothes officer. A shoot-out ensued and Staff Sergeant Harrison was shot in the abdomen. He died hours later on the operating table.
The killers, two men and two women, took hostages in a northeast Calgary home. After two days, they traded the hostages for cigarettes and drugs. John Gamble, on bail on charges of murder in Vancouver, died of a drug overdose at the scene. William Nichols was also on bail on charges originating in Vancouver for attempted murder, robbery and carrying a concealed weapon. He survived a drug overdose and was convicted of murder, multiple kidnapping, robbery and break-and-enter. Janice Gamble was convicted of the same charges and both were sentenced to life. The fourth woman was not charged.
Staff Sergeant Harrison was a 16-year veteran who had just been promoted to Staff Sergeant of Detectives. He taught law to police recruits and was considered a brilliant academic. He was survived by his wife and two teenage children.
1977 - Constable Bill Shelever
 Constable Bill Shelever had only been out of recruit class six weeks when he was shot and killed on May 27, 1977. On that evening, the 32-year-old rookie and his partner, Constable Pedersen, spotted a man who fit the description of an armed robbery suspect. They took him to their car for questioning.
Without warning, the suspect pulled a gun and demanded the officers' weapons. While attempting to disarm him, Constable Shelever took a shot in the head while Constable Pederson was shot in the leg and foot. Constable Pederson recovered sufficiently to shoot and wound Roy Glaremin as he tried to escape. Bill Shelever died two days later. Glaremin was later convicted of attempted murder and murder.
Constable Shelever was survived by his wife and a daughter who was born a few months after his death. As a result of the episode, police ammunition was upgraded to improve stopping power.
1992 - Constable Rob Vanderwiel
 While conducting a routine traffic stop in the early morning hours of September 22, 1992, Constable Rob Vanderwiel was shot in the back of the neck while walking to his car to verify the driver's identification. He died instantly.
Anthony Lawes, a former policeman from Jamaica who was in Canada illegally, was charged with murder and convicted.
Constable Vanderweil was a devoted father to his only son, Christopher. He was 36 when he died and was also survived by his mother, father and sister.
1993 - Constable Rick Sonnenberg
 In the early hours of October 8, 1993, Constable Rick Sonnenberg and his partner were alerted about a stolen car that had been pursued by police in another part of the city. As the stolen vehicle headed in his direction, Constable Sonnenberg attempted to lay down a spike belt. He was struck by the speeding car and died instantly.
A 17-year-old youth, out on bail on another charge, was arrested and convicted in adult court to 4-? years for criminal negligence causing death and nine months for hit and run and possession of stolen property.
Constable Sonnenberg, 27, was with the Service just under four years and was about to announce his engagement to be married. He was also survived by his mother, sister and a niece.
Following Constable Sonnenberg's death, his sister led a campaign to raise funds for a police helicopter. The Calgary Police Service acquired HAWC1 in July 1995 and the helicopter has since proven to be an effective tool in high-speed vehicle pursuits.
2000 - Constable John Petropoulos
 At 5:40 a.m. on September 29, 2000, Constable Petropoulos and his partner were dispatched to investigate a break-in at a business in Southeast Calgary, where it was suspected someone was inside the building. Upon arrival, officers began to check the exterior and interior of the building. Constable Petropoulos entered the building, together with other officers and the Canine Unit, and climbed a ladder onto a mezzanine area. He lost his footing and fell through ceiling tiles onto the concrete floor nine feet below. He was rushed to Foothills Hospital with severe head injuries and was pronounced dead early that afternoon. An investigation later revealed that, although the call was legitimate, a break-in had not occurred.
Constable Petropoulos, 32, was with the Service for four years and was well regarded by his fellow officers. He was survived by his wife, parents and two siblings.
2001 - Constable Darren Beatty
 On Wednesday Oct. 17, 2001, Calgary Police Service Tactical Unit officer Constable Darren Beatty was critically injured during a training exercise at the District 7 (Silver Springs) training facility.
Despite the best efforts of his colleagues and the emergency services personnel who rushed to his aid, Constable Beatty died of his injuries shortly after at Foothills Hospital.
Constable Beatty, 29, joined the Calgary Police Service in December 1996, graduating from Recruit Class #118. He was initially assigned to District 1, where he served as a patrol officer until June 1999. He was then posted to the Mountain Bike Unit before joining the Service's Tactical Unit February 13, 2000.
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