A 40-year-old Lethbridge woman faces more than 15 charges, including attempted murder, in connection with Thursday’s hostage-taking at the Lethbridge Legal Guidance office.
Officers were called to the office in the 400 block of 5 Street South in downtown Lethbridge early Thursday afternoon after a staff member called 911 because an armed woman was threatening employees.
Officials with the Lethbridge Police Department say a woman came into the office and asked to speak to a certain attorney who was not available. The woman then asked to use the restroom and returned about 10 minutes later armed with what appeared to be a gun as well as a knife.
The suspect allegedly pointed the gun, later determined to be an airsoft gun, at two of the workers and said she would kill them if they did not get the attorney on the phone to speak with her.
The woman then pushed a 54-year-old worker into one of the offices and closed the door. The other three employees fled the business.
Additional police resources, including a tactical team and crisis negotiators, arrived at the scene and police spoke to the woman on the phone.
After nearly an hour of negotiations, TAC team members stormed the office due to concerns for the hostage’s safety. The TAC team encountered the suspect holding a knife and quickly took her into custody.
The hostage, a 54-year-old woman, had been stabbed multiple times and members of the tactician began administering first aid.
The stabbed woman was transported by ambulance with life-threatening injuries, but as of Friday afternoon, her condition was stabilized after undergoing surgery.
Courtney Louise Shaw of Lethbridge is charged with:
- Attempt to kill;
- Aggravated Assault;
- Taking a hostage;
- Using an imitation firearm in the commission of a crime;
- Possession of a weapon dangerous to the public;
- Four counts of unlawful imprisonment;
- Four counts of uttering threats; and,
- Three counts of assault with a weapon.
WORKERS NEARBY IN SHOCK
At the time of the incident, workers from nearby businesses said it was a big shock.
“It’s very nerve-wracking to have this happen close to home,” said Jocelyn Anderson, administrator of Modern Aesthetics next door to Lethbridge Legal Guidance.
“Even being escorted out of the building yesterday was very scary. We were sticking our heads out and thinking, is it good?’
“So we hung out for probably about half an hour,” added Ava-Marie Hutton, a barista at Bread, Milk and Honey.
“Of course you wanted to see if something would happen, but we knew it was going to be a much more serious situation than we first thought.”
During today’s press release, the Lethbridge Police Chief and Mayor spoke about the work being done by Lethbridge Police officers on the ground.
“In this case, I am grateful for the actions of our officers and commend every officer involved in resolving this situation,” Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh said.
“While the outcome was severe, it could have been much worse without the help of the brave men and women of the Lethbridge Police Service,” said Mayor Blaine Higen.
Shaw remains in custody pending a July 22 court appearance.
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