CALGARY (660 NEWS) — One of many males accused within the demise of Calgary police Sergeant Andrew Harnett was in court docket for a bail listening to on Friday.
Amir Abdulrahman, 19, is going through fees of first-degree homicide after Harnett was killed whereas responding to a visitors cease on New Yr’s Eve.
READ MORE: Accused passenger in hit-and-run demise of Calgary police officer seeks bail
Harnett had stopped an SUV exterior a fuel station on Falconridge Dr. N.E. when the car fled the scene, and the occasions that adopted led to the demise of the 12-year veteran of the service.
The 37-year-old’s demise generated an outpouring of help from round Calgary and the broader police group, as he additionally leaves behind a spouse and unborn little one.
Abdulrahman is one among two individuals charged within the case, and police say he was the passenger within the car on the time. The opposite suspect, who was 17-years-old on the time and due to this fact can’t be named, can also be going through a cost of first-degree homicide and his bail was denied final month.
READ MORE: Bail denied for Calgary teen accused in officer’s demise
A lot of the particulars heard in court docket on Friday are protected beneath a publication ban, because the defence sought to have him launched on bail whereas the prosecution argued for him to stay in custody till trial.
Supporters for Abdulrahman have been within the courtroom, in addition to a number of law enforcement officials.
The decide reserved his resolution, and his conclusion might be introduced at a later date.
A Calgary decide has reserved his resolution following a bail listening to for Amir Abdulrahman, charged with first diploma homicide within the demise of police Sergeant Andrew Harnett. The 19-year-old’s lawyer, Balfour Der, explains a bit about why they’re looking for bail. #yyc pic.twitter.com/AYfSW64ga4
— Tom Ross (@Tommy_Slick) February 13, 2021
Abdulrahman’s defence lawyer, Balfour Der, stated his shopper must abide by strict situations if he does obtain bail.
“The bail utility is being made right here as a result of we consider that there’s grounds within the Prison Code by which this younger man must be launched. In different phrases, the Prison Code would counsel beneath these circumstances that he must be launched,” Der stated.
“If this younger man is launched, it will be beneath situations which are very, very strict. That may little question embody him being in fixed presence of one among his mother and father, home arrest, it will be phrases like that ought to he be launched.”
The Crown prosecution, led by Michael Ewenson, would additionally search a direct indictment if bail is denied. That may cancel out the necessity for preliminary hearings and save a while by expediting the authorized course of.
Der stated a lot of the proof is predicated on movies from law enforcement officials on the scene, so there is no such thing as a want to listen to from many witnesses. Police, nonetheless, are additionally nonetheless in search of a witness who was seated behind the car on the time of the incident.
READ MORE: Police looking for witness in hit-and-run demise of Calgary police officer
Because of the truth the case is extraordinarily excessive profile, Der stated that it may be troublesome to handle a scenario like this.
“It’s arduous generally to eradicate the human facet from the instances, however actually it’s type of designed that we don’t get slowed down by the human a part of it,” Der stated.
“Clearly, the general public has an curiosity in figuring out about instances like this, like as an illustration this case that entails the demise of a police officer. Very unhappy circumstances. However these courts are usually not the courts of public opinion, they’re regulation courts and we function beneath strict authorized guidelines as a result of that’s the one manner it should work. And if the principles say the younger man must be launched, then he must be launched. No matter public opinion.”
Der stated that he felt the listening to went properly and made each argument he felt must be made, and credited Ewenson for presenting his case successfully as properly.
