Calgary police officer struck, killed during traffic stop: police

CALGARY — The Calgary Police Service is releasing the name of an officer killed in the line of duty on New Year’s Eve. 

The service says 37-year-old Sgt. Andrew Harnett, a 12-year veteran of the force, died on Thursday night after being hit by a driver allegedly fleeing a traffic stop. 

Calgary police say Harnett previously worked as a military police officer before joining the city force.

They say he died after pulling a vehicle over for a traffic stop at 10:50 p.m., only to be hit when the driver allegedly fled the scene. 

Police say paramedics and fellow officers tried to revive Harnett, but he died in hospital nearly an hour later. 

Police have not yet made any arrests in the case and say the search for a suspect is very active. 

“There is a massive effort underway to locate and bring to justice those responsible for taking the life of one of our members,” the police service said in a statement. “Dozens of sworn and civilian members are working around the clock tracking down each and every lead and these efforts will not stop.”

Earlier in the day, the force described the collective grief among service members and their families as “unmeasurable.”

Police offered no further details on the deadly traffic stop, which took place in northeast Calgary around 10:50 p.m. on Thursday. 

More information may be provided at a news conference later in the day, the force said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 1, 2021.

The Canadian Press