Killing of Latjor Tuel

Latjor Tuel was born in South Sudan and his family claimed he was a child soldier for the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army[2] before moving to Canada as a refugee, approximately 20 years prior to being killed.[3] His family also claimed he suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, and that he provided financial support to family members in South Sudan.[3]

Calgary police reported that at approximately 3:40 pm on the 19 February 2022, they responded to a call from the public reporting a man assaulting others, while holding weapons, near a bus stop close to the intersection of 45th Street and 17th Avenue S.E. in the Forest Lawn area of Calgary.[3] Callers reported a man carrying a knife and holding a stick, and one caller reported the man had hit someone with the stick.[4] When officers arrived at 3:46 pm, Tuel was holding a knife and a stick.[4] Video of the incident shows officers speaking with Tuel as he sat on the sidewalk, and officers are repeatedly heard telling Tuel to drop or throw away his knife.[4] At 4:02 pm, Tuel got up and an officer discharged less-lethal baton rounds at him.[4] Tuel then ran towards police, and a police dog was allowed to approach him; Tuel stabbed the dog in the neck and hit it with his stick.[4][5] Police then discharged a taser at Tuel.[4] Police surrounded Tuel, who was still holding his knife and stick, and during a confrontation, Tuel was shot four times, by two different officers.[3][4] The police dog was taken to an animal hospital in life-threatening condition.[6] Tuel died at the scene.[3] No police officers were injured.[2]

While police have described Tuel as holding a weapon, multiple friends have challenged that account stating that he used a retractile cane as a mobility aid.[3] Friends have also criticized police for killing Tuel, specifically pointing out that it is natural for people to defend themselves against charging dogs.[3]

Calgary's Police Chief Mark Neufeld defended the actions of his officers, "the call that the police responded to was not—when reported—about mental health. It was a complaint of an assault involving a man in possession of a knife and a stick in a busy public area".[7] On February 23, 2022, Neufeld was questioned by the police commission about the killing and stated the Tuel may have faced systemic barriers, but also that the actions of his officers were not racially motivated.[2]

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, Alberta's police oversight body, are investigating the incident.[3][8]

Jyoti Gondek, the mayor of Calgary stated the events were devastating and tragic and that questions needed to be answered by the investigation.[2]

Calgary Black Chambers called for an inquiry into Tuel's death, and made comparisons with the Calgary Police Service's assault of Godfred Addai-Nyamekye and killing of Anthony Heffernan.[9]

On February 26, 2022, a crowd of demonstrators gathered in downtown Calgary calling for justice for Tuel,[10] soon after that representatives of the police met with Tuel's family.[11]

A GoFundMe campaign was created to raise funds to repatriate Tuel's body to South Sudan and to fund legal action.[2]

• No Visible Trauma (2020 documentary about the assault of Godfred Addai-Nyamekye and killing of Anthony Heffernan)
• Lost Boys of Sudan