former mla derek fildebrandt chased kids off his property who testified he threatened to shoot them
fildebrandt's version to police starkly contradicted the testimony of three teenage boys called to the witness stand by the crown prosecutor
sep 11 2024
2 minute read
derek fildebrandt as seen in 2017.
david bloom/postmedia file
former mla derek fildebrandt threatened to shoot four boys he chased from his southwest calgary property, court heard wednesday.
but in police body-worn camera video shot during fildebrandt’s arrest shortly after the incident last april 13 , the now publisher of the western standard online news outlet said he only chased them away from his home with a cane he was using because of a motorcycle injury.
“i yelled like an angry old man with a cane on the sidewalk, that’s the extent of it,” fildebrandt told police.
“i’m an old man with a cane … yelling at them to get off my lawn,” the 38-year-old former politician said, explaining he believed they had vandalized ornaments telling dog owners not to let their animals pee on his property.
fildebrandt’s version to police starkly contradicted the testimony of three teenage boys called to the witness stand by crown prosecutor stephanie morton.
the trio, who postmedia is not naming because of their ages, each gave similar versions of the exchange they had with the accused around 9 p.m. that evening.
they all testified they were standing on the sidewalk outside fildebrandt’s crestmont home waiting for a female friend to join them to go pick up snacks at a nearby convenience store.
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all three said they noticed fildebrandt in his window watching them and a fourth friend, who did not give evidence.
“we were getting strange looks so we decided to move down (the sidewalk),” said one, who was hosting the others for a sleepover to celebrate his 14th birthday.
moments later fildebrandt emerged from his garage, the teen said.
“he came out of the house, waved an object in the air and said ‘i have a shotgun,’ so we ran,” he told morton.
“i heard ‘shotgun,’ ‘come here boys,’ and other taunts,” he said.
“come here boys, i have a shotgun, i will shoot you.”
fildebrandt then chased the group in his pickup truck, the teen said.
he said he was able to run to a nearby home before his dad came to pick him up before police showed up.
all three told morton they were never on the accused’s lawn and never touched, removed or damaged any of his property.
under cross-examination by defence lawyer alain hepner the trio all said they discussed the incident amongst themselves before giving police statements.
“if i suggest he never said the words ‘i will shoot you,'” hepner put to the birthday boy.
“i would disagree,” the witness replied.
a second teen said he was terrified.
“i thought i was going to die that day,” he said.
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and a third told court that while they were simply waiting for their other friend, their presence could have been alarming to the accused.
“it was kind of late at night, so i could see why that would look a little suspicious.”
in a 911 call played in court, fildebrandt told the operator he didn’t want the “vandals” charged, but wanted an officer to come to the scene to give them a talking to.
the trial, before justice allan fradsham, resumes thursday.
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