Canarama Mall Shootout
Encyclopedia
The Canarama Shootout was an armed confrontation
on July 5th, 1982, between officers of the Saskatoon Police Service
and infamous Saskatoon criminal (as well as one of Canada
's most dangerous murderers) Harvey Andres, who had escaped from an Edmonton
prison
just months before the shootout. The shooting occurred at a house and the Canarama Shopping Centre parking lot in the River Heights
area of the city of Saskatoon
, Saskatchewan
. Two people were shot but no one was killed during the incident.
Calibre pistol, kidnapped Clara Scrutton, the wife of a Safeway
manager, and took her to her home in River Heights
. A neighbour phoned police after noticing a suspicious looking man with Clara entering the house. Corporal
Kenneth Sawyer and summer Law student Robert Zacher responded to the suspicious activity. Upon arriving Sawyer sent the student (who was wearing a police uniform) to the back of the house, as he walked up the steps to the front door. With a handgun pointed at the back of her head, Clara was forced to answer the door by Andres. Opening the door a crack she was questioned by Cpl. Sawyer and told him that everything was okay. Sawyer was unaware Andres was standing right behind her. Somewhere in their conversation she used facial expressions to signal that she was in trouble. At that moment Andres caught on to her and jabbed the pistol over her shoulder and fired at Sawyer's face, who dove off the steps without being shot. Sawyer radioed "Shots fired!" to CST. Reginald Smith
was back at the station and immediately sent backup. Andres then ran out the back door to be surprised by Zacher who looked like a police officer. Andres fired at him and struck him in the arm. Zacher then ran into a neighbours yard to get out of the line of fire. Andres took off from the location and ran into the neighborhood, heading for the Canarama Shopping Center. Little did he know, he was heading straight into the cross-hairs of Sergent Jim Cox
.
arrived in his car and pulled into the parking lot of the Canarama strip mall, just outside a drug store. Cox, along with others officers, were setting up a perimeter at Warman Road and Assinaboine Drive when he heard that Andres may be heading in their direction. However there was still not much information as to exactly where Andres was.
At this time Andres entered through the back of the drug store and as he ran out the front door he slid to a stop as he was startled to see officers in the parking lot. After trying to shoot at them and the Sgt, Cox drew his .38
Calibre revolver and shot Andres point blank six times in his chest. One round happened to shoot off Harveys right index finger(his shooting finger). However, even with five bullets in him Andres still wouldn't go down. Sgt. Cox along with other officers had to beat and wrestle him down to detain him. Andres survived the shooting.
sidearms because the .38
Calibre rounds shot at Andres didn't do much damage (for a point blank shot). It was reported that Harvey's light wind jacket had helped slow the bullets. It would not be for another nineteen years until the Saskatoon Police Service would adopt .40Calibre Glock
Pistols.
Sgt. Jim Cox would later become a Staff Sergeant
. Following his retirement Cox died from cancer
. Cpl. Ken Sawyer went on to became a sergeant
and recently retired from Law Enforcement
. Law student Robert Zacher would recover from his wound. Harvey Andres was sent back to prison on new charges and is currently on a life sentence.
Confrontation
Confrontation is a tactical fantasy miniature wargaming in which the combatants are represented by metal figures in 28 mm scale. For comparison purposes, the system's figures are slightly larger than those of Games Workshop or The Foundry....
on July 5th, 1982, between officers of the Saskatoon Police Service
Saskatoon Police Service
Saskatoon Police Service is the municipal police force in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada and holds both municipal and provincial jurisdiction. Police Chief Clive Weighill is the head of the force. The deputy chiefs are Deputy Chief Gary Broste , and Deputy Chief Bernie Pannell...
and infamous Saskatoon criminal (as well as one of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's most dangerous murderers) Harvey Andres, who had escaped from an Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
just months before the shootout. The shooting occurred at a house and the Canarama Shopping Centre parking lot in the River Heights
River Heights, Saskatoon
River Heights is a neighbourhood in Lawson Suburban Development Area, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Its eastern boundary borders the South Saskatchewan River. The suburb is just south of the Mall at Lawson Heights. Development of the neighbourhood began in the very early 1960s , with full build out...
area of the city of Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. Two people were shot but no one was killed during the incident.
The Shootout
On the morning of July 5th Harvey Andres, using a .45.45
.45 may refer to:* .45 ACP, a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911* .45-70, a cartridge developed at the U.S...
Calibre pistol, kidnapped Clara Scrutton, the wife of a Safeway
Safeway Inc.
Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...
manager, and took her to her home in River Heights
River Heights, Saskatoon
River Heights is a neighbourhood in Lawson Suburban Development Area, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Its eastern boundary borders the South Saskatchewan River. The suburb is just south of the Mall at Lawson Heights. Development of the neighbourhood began in the very early 1960s , with full build out...
. A neighbour phoned police after noticing a suspicious looking man with Clara entering the house. Corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
Kenneth Sawyer and summer Law student Robert Zacher responded to the suspicious activity. Upon arriving Sawyer sent the student (who was wearing a police uniform) to the back of the house, as he walked up the steps to the front door. With a handgun pointed at the back of her head, Clara was forced to answer the door by Andres. Opening the door a crack she was questioned by Cpl. Sawyer and told him that everything was okay. Sawyer was unaware Andres was standing right behind her. Somewhere in their conversation she used facial expressions to signal that she was in trouble. At that moment Andres caught on to her and jabbed the pistol over her shoulder and fired at Sawyer's face, who dove off the steps without being shot. Sawyer radioed "Shots fired!" to CST. Reginald Smith
Reginald Smith
Reginald or Reggie Smith may refer to:* Hooley Smith , Canadian ice hockey player* Reggie Smith , American baseball player and coach* Reggie Smith , American football player...
was back at the station and immediately sent backup. Andres then ran out the back door to be surprised by Zacher who looked like a police officer. Andres fired at him and struck him in the arm. Zacher then ran into a neighbours yard to get out of the line of fire. Andres took off from the location and ran into the neighborhood, heading for the Canarama Shopping Center. Little did he know, he was heading straight into the cross-hairs of Sergent Jim Cox
Jim Cox
The Honourable James Glennister "Jim" Cox is a former Tasmanian Labor politician and member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly in the electorate of Bass. He was first elected in the 1989 election...
.
Canarama
By now a number of officers were heading to the area - both on and off duty, plain clothes and uniformed. One of these plain clothes officers, Sergent Jim CoxJim Cox
The Honourable James Glennister "Jim" Cox is a former Tasmanian Labor politician and member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly in the electorate of Bass. He was first elected in the 1989 election...
arrived in his car and pulled into the parking lot of the Canarama strip mall, just outside a drug store. Cox, along with others officers, were setting up a perimeter at Warman Road and Assinaboine Drive when he heard that Andres may be heading in their direction. However there was still not much information as to exactly where Andres was.
At this time Andres entered through the back of the drug store and as he ran out the front door he slid to a stop as he was startled to see officers in the parking lot. After trying to shoot at them and the Sgt, Cox drew his .38
.38
.38 refers to the type of firearm and firearm cartridges.The .38 is considered a large caliber firearm cartridge; Anything larger than .32 is considered a large caliber, and one of the most common handguns manufactured in the United States...
Calibre revolver and shot Andres point blank six times in his chest. One round happened to shoot off Harveys right index finger(his shooting finger). However, even with five bullets in him Andres still wouldn't go down. Sgt. Cox along with other officers had to beat and wrestle him down to detain him. Andres survived the shooting.
Aftermath
Following the shooting the officers pleaded with the Police Commission to obtain more powerfulsidearms because the .38
.38
.38 refers to the type of firearm and firearm cartridges.The .38 is considered a large caliber firearm cartridge; Anything larger than .32 is considered a large caliber, and one of the most common handguns manufactured in the United States...
Calibre rounds shot at Andres didn't do much damage (for a point blank shot). It was reported that Harvey's light wind jacket had helped slow the bullets. It would not be for another nineteen years until the Saskatoon Police Service would adopt .40Calibre Glock
Glock
Glock Ges.m.b.H. is a weapons manufacturer headquartered in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria, named after its founder, Gaston Glock...
Pistols.
Sgt. Jim Cox would later become a Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
. Following his retirement Cox died from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. Cpl. Ken Sawyer went on to became a sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
and recently retired from Law Enforcement
Law enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
. Law student Robert Zacher would recover from his wound. Harvey Andres was sent back to prison on new charges and is currently on a life sentence.