Lethbridge Police amended charges related to July hostage crisis.
In a news release sent out Wednesday morning,LPS said the suspect was carrying an airsoft handgun that was tested and police said it was a "velocity weapon." It states that it meets the definition of a firearm based on that projectile.
With this change, police have upgraded Courtney Louise Shaw, 40, of Lethbridge's counterfeit weapon charges to include pointing a firearm and attacking with a weapon (firearm). .
Lethbridge, 14 July Inside the Legal Guidance Office.
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Police say that when a woman entered the building and asked to speak to a particular lawyer, she said that 100 employees were working. When the suspect was told the lawyer she was asking wasn't there, she asked to use the restroom. About 10 minutes later, the suspect pointed a "black pistol" at the employee and threatened to kill him.
READ MORE: Attempted Murder in Lethbridge Hostages
1 Called 911 After making phone calls, the suspect brandished a knife and, according to police, threatened to kill the employees if "they didn't call their lawyers to try and leave." Three employees were able to escape, but the suspect locked the 54-year-old woman in the office.
After about an hour of crisis negotiations, members of the LPS tactical team entered the building, carrying a knife, along with a trapped employee who was suffering from multiple stabs in the neck. I have found a suspect.
Shaw was arrested at the scene and the victim was taken to hospital where he underwent surgery and continues to recover from the incident.
Shaw is scheduled to appear in court on September 1, 2022.
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