darren james cardinal > deadmonton 2006 > deadmonton > edmonton

Darren James Cardinal, 26, was shot to death June 30th, 2006.

Cardinal was shot by Edmonton Police Service Const. Daniel Furman, 26, while returning fire.

At about 10:30 p.m. on June 29th, 2006 police were called to the area of 128 Avenue and 68 Street in response to a report of a disturbance.

Police found no evidence of a disturbance and were about to leave when they were directed to a duplex at 12838 68 Street by someone who told them there was a man inside with a gun.

Three officers approached the house at about 12:20 a.m. on June 30th. A number of residents were inside at the time.

Reports suggest the three entered the side door of the duplex. From there stairs lead up to the main floor and down to the basement. A senior officer, who had about 25 years of experience, went upstairs to talk to the residents.

Const. Daniel Furman, just in his third year of service, and another officer, with two years of experience, went down to the basement.

At about 12:30 a.m. Furman and the other officer encountered Darren James Cardinal. Without warning Cardinal began firing a gun at them.

Furman was shot three times, at least once at close range. One bullet struck him in the centre of his chest; one bullet hit him in his side near the shoulder before passing through his body; a third round shattered his left wrist.

Furman's light body armour stopped the first bullet but the second shot caught him in an unprotected area. According to the Edmonton Sun, the round hit his lungs.

Furman managed to return fire as did the other officer. Neighbours reported hearing two or three shots, followed by a pause and then six or seven more. A source told the Sun 11 shots were fired at Cardinal.

The wounded officer was taken to the Royal Alex Hospital. It was reported his injuries required extensive surgery. He remains there in serious but stable condition. On July 4th CTV Edmonton reported Furman was taken off a ventilator and was breathing on his own.

Cardinal was transported to hospital but died after three hours from multiple gunshot wounds. An autopsy was completed but results have not been released.

Early reports indicated a fifteen-year-old girl, also in the basement, received minor injuries from flying wood splinters.

As per provincial protocol, the RCMP assigned a co-commander from Edmonton Major Crimes Unit to investigate. Edmonton homicide detectives are assisting.

Police descend on the scene following the shooting. One eyewitness counted 23 police vehicles.

Neighbours reported the house, owned by the Metis Urban Housing Corporation, was known for drug use and was a location police had been to many times.

Persons inside were often heard screaming and fighting over money.

One neighbour recently saw a man in the yard wave a full-sized sword around before disappearing back into the house.

Another neighbour said a woman and her boyfriend lived in the house with two children who hadn't been recently seen.

On July 5th, 2006 the Edmonton Sun carried a story adding details to Cardinal's death.

The Sun reported Furman was shot four times and that Cardinal was shot 13 times, with nine of the bullets "pumped" into his chest.

Cardinal's father, David Ward, said he had some serious questions about the incident.

"There was some very unnecessary things done there and the police should be able to answer for them," said Ward.

Ward said the medical examiner told him Cardinal was shot an estimated 13 times.

"One shot would have been enough to subdue him. Why did they have to go in there and blast him to pieces?"

Ward also wanted to know why the Edmonton Police Service tactical team wasn't called in to deal with his son.

On July 6th, 2006 the Edmonton Journal quoted a police spokesman saying they couldn't get into exact numbers and while Cardinal was shot multiple times, it was not as many times as his father claimed.

The Journal also said Furman was shot four times, adding a shot to the arm to his list of injuries.

Furman was moved out of intensive care and his condition was upgraded to stable.

On July 10th, 2006 Furman was released from the Royal Alexandra hospital.

A police spokesman said he was recuperating at home amd it would be some time before he is prepared to return to work.

"I think this is a very traumatic experience for (him and his family)," police spokesman said . "There's a lot of healing to do as well yet." Furman and his family were said to be "in good spirits."

It was also reported there was extensive damage to Furman's hand.

Cardinal's background

Darren James Cardinal, an Edmonton resident, had numerous weapons charges against him and a warrant out for his arrest.

In April 2006 Cardinal's name came up during a Global Edmonton television report regarding Edmonton police efforts to apprehend those on outstanding drug warrants.

Cardinal was arrested after an incident on December 23rd, 2005 near an apartment building at 12036 66 Street. At about 1:30 a.m. tenants heard gunshots and called police. No one was hurt and residents speculated the shooting was a drug deal gone wrong.

Cardinal was charged with mischief, possession of a restricted weapon and use of a firearm during the commission of a crime. He was released on $2,000 bail January 13th, 2006 and was slated to appear in court in March 2007.

In February 2002, Cardinal was charged with aggravated assault in connection with a stabbing at the Express Bar near 128 Avenue and 66 Street. The attack left a 20-year-old bar customer with a collapsed lung.

An Edmonton Sun source familiar with the gang scene said Cardinal was associated with several aboriginal street gangs.

In interviews with print media, Cardinal's friend Amanda Lutz spoke of how she knew Darren and his family for over a decade, considering him a stepbrother.

"It's just a hurting thing right now. I just want people to know he was still good. He tried to help anyone he could."

Lutz said she hadn't seen Cardinal in a month but spoke to him two weeks before his death.

"He seemed fine then, like he was getting back on track. He had applied for jobs and was lining things up," Lutz said.

"He didn't lead an easy life. He made some bad choices, but he was good-hearted. He'd rather help someone than hurt them."

Cardinal has three older brothers. His parents live in Edmonton and he has one son who lives with his mother outside the city.

Cardinal worked various jobs around the city including a recent stint as a plumber at the University of Alberta hospital. Lutz said he lived off-and-on at different homes.

Furman's background

Described by fellow officers as friendly, outgoing, both a practical joker and a real common-sense guy, Dan Furman quit the construction business to follow his dream and became an Edmonton police officer.

Engaged to be married this year, Dan had been on the force for just over two years.

Recently his younger brother, Michael, also became a police officer.

Together the brothers and a sister grew up in the Castle Downs neighbourhood.

The Furman family has chosen to not release any statements to the media at this time.

The protective vest

Police credit Furman's body armour for his survival. At the time of the shooting the use of bulletproof vests was not mandatory for Edmonton Police Service members.

Furman was wearing a rectangular protective Teflon plate measuring 15 by 30 cm which is slipped into the front pocket of a bullet-resistant vest similar to the one pictured. It offers extra protection for the heart and lungs.

All Edmonton police members are issued both a vest and plate.

The service uses a number of different vests -- one of the most common is the Apex model manufactured by Michigan-based Second Chance Body Armor.

Second Chance claims nearly 1,000 lives have been saved by its products, more than all other body armour manufacturers combined according to company claims.

In 2004, Edmonton Police Service signed a $1.3-million contract with Second Chance to outfit up to 1,400 officers with protective gear.

Citing officer safety, a police spokesman offered no other details on the protective equipment currently used.

"If the bad guys start to learn what our officers wear, they can change their habits," the spokesman said.

Chief Mike Boyd recently instructed officers to wear a hat at all times when working with the public.

Other police shootings

The use of deadly force is an unfortunate consequence of policing Edmonton's streets.

On March 11th, 2005 Daniel Lippa, 29, was shot by two cops outside an apartment building near 148th Avenue and 26th Street.

Lippa came around the corner of the building with a knife in his hand. He refused police orders to drop the weapon and then came at them with the knife. Two officers fired at least seven times at Lippa and hit him twice.

On May 16th, 2001 John Peter Pavic, 31, was shot during a struggle with Const. Ken Brander.

Police tactical officers entered Pavic's apartment at 11453 40 Avenue after Pavic had gotten in a fight with a neighbour and threatened to kill him.

Brander thought Pavic was under control after a stun gun was fired when Pavic came at him with a knife in each hand. Brander fired six shots at Pavic.

On January 5th, 2000 Long Duy Hoang aka Crazy Jimmy, 28, was shot by police after shooting at an officer during a high-risk takedown.

The Asian gang member shot twice at tactical team cops before going down in a hail of bullets when he refused to surrender after a high-speed chase.

Other officers down

The shooting of Dan Furman came 16 years and 5 days after the fatal shooting of Const. Ezio Faraone.

Faraone, 33, a member of the Edmonton Police Service tactical squad, was shot to death after a robbery on June 25th, 1990.

In an alley south of 118th Avenue between 124th and 123rd Streets, Faraone came upon a getaway vehicle used by Albert Foulston and Jerry Crews.

When Faraone approached, Foulston put his hands in the air. Crews, hidden in the back seat, blasted Faraone in the heart with a shotgun.

Crews, convicted of first-degree murder, was sentenced to life in prison with no parole for 25 years.

Foulston, convicted of manslaughter, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. On May 31st, 2006 he was denied parole.

Foulston had nearly fifty convictions when Faraone was shot. After fourteen years in jail he had over 100 violations on his institutional record. He has spent much of his time in segregation because of his behaviour toward other inmates and prison staff.

Faraone was honoured by a statue erected in a park named after him. Ezio Faraone Park, located at the northwest end of the High Level Bridge, opened in 1992.

Faraone was one of only three Edmonton police officers to be murdered in the line of duty.

On October 17th, 1918 Const. Frank Beevers was fatally shot after confronting an armed robbery suspect.

Beevers had staked out the Northern Hotel at 97th Street and 102nd Avenue looking for fugitive killer Joseph Campbell.

Joseph Campbell had earlier robbed and murdered city clothier Sam Zappler after an all-night drinking and card game.

When other officers flushed Campbell from his room, he bolted for the back door, struggled with Beevers and shot him twice at close range. Beevers died a short time later.

Campbell was arrested a week later at the Imperial Hotel in Leduc. He was executed by hanging April 23rd, 1919 at the Fort Saskatchewan jail.

Less than a year later on August 31st, 1919 Const. William Leslie Nixon was walking his beat near 104th Avenue and 101st Street.

Nixon approached a suspicious man loitering by the Twin City Transfer Company. When questioned, the stranger pulled a revolver from his jacket, opened fire and fled. Nixon died later in hospital.

Over the years the Edmonton Police Service lost other members in the line of duty.

On December 5th, 1949 Const. George Rowley Vaughan died while attempting to start a stalled police vehicle at 106th Street and Princess Elizabeth Avenue. Vaughan fell and struck his head. He died 27 hours later.

On December 16th, 1950 after quelling a drunken brawl at the Arrow Café at 10245 96 Street, Detective Jean Baptiste Arial suffered a heart attack in the Criminal Investigation Division office. He passed away in hospital 2 hours later.

During a violent windstorm on May 8th, 1955, Const. George Donnelly was dispatched to a call of a downed power line on Saskatchewan Drive at 102nd Street. He was electrocuted when he came in contact with a 4000-volt powerline.

On November 24th, 1956 Const. David Anthony Romano was driving to a domestic dispute complaint. His vehicle collided with a truck travelling on the wrong side of Mill Creek Bridge east of 96th Street on Whyte Avenue. Romano was killed instantly.

On July 2nd, 1959 Sergeant Malcolm Groat Finlayson Jack died from injuries sustained in a motor vehicle collision. While on route to a fire alarm at the Capital City Box Company, the police vehicle in which he was a passenger was struck at 93rd Street and 104th Avenue by a fire truck responding to the same alarm.

On June 12th, 1986, Const. Jeffrey Wilkes suffered liver and spleen damage when he was stabbed four times by Philippe Andre Forest. The officer had gone to Forest's home to investigate an earlier assault. Wilkes only survived by killing Forest.

In 1988, Const. Mike Lakusta was shot in the back of the head while transporting Leo Mathew Teskey to the Londonderry police station.

On January 9th, 1988 Teskey, then 17, was arrested for mischief after firing a gun at power poles in an alley near Wellington Hardware at 132nd Avenue and 132 Street.

Teskey said at his trial he got the gun as collateral from a friend who bought his stereo. He said he was on his way to sell it at an arcade when he decided to test it.

Unknown to Lakusta, Teskey had taken four hits of LSD an hour before his arrest.

As Lakusta approached the Londonderry station, Teskey pulled down his jeans to retrieve a .32-calibre short loaded revolver he had hidden between his buttocks. Teskey hadn't been handcuffed.

Teskey cocked the revolver and the gun hit a side of the open protective shield separating the police car's passenger compartment. The gun went off.

Teskey said he had no idea Lakusta had been shot until he heard him radio the fact to headquarters.

A bullet was removed from the back of Lakusta's neck in a one-hour operation. He fully recovered and returned to active duty two months after the shooting.

In a victim impact statement, Lakusta wrote he suffered from headaches, hearing loss, loss of balance and some control of his right eye.

Teskey was acquitted on a charge of attempted murder with the judge citing his LSD-caused impairment as a mitigating factor.

He was found guilty of stealing Lakusta's police car, unlawful use of a handgun while committing an indictable offence and unlawful escape. Teskey was sentenced to three years and 10 months in jail. The sentence was reduced to 22 months because of time Teskey spent in pre-trial custody.

In January 1991 Teskey was sentenced to four months after pleading guilty to carrying a concealed weapon, assaulting a police officer while attempting to escape, two counts of possession of a narcotic, failure to appear in court and a breach of recognizance.

He was sentenced to three months on the assault charge to run concurrently with the weapons charge, a $200 fine or 20 days on one narcotics charge and one day in jail on the other, $20 or five days for failure to appear and one-day in jail for breaching recognizance.

Court heard that Teskey was in possession of hashish when he was stopped by police in a hotel parking lot on September 27th, 1990.

While being searched, police found a knife with a 10-cm blade hidden in his trousers. He was released the next day on $400 cash bail.

Two days later Teskey was stopped in another hotel parking lot and was again found in possession of hashish.

While attempting to escape he assaulted a police officer. While out on bail again, he failed to make a December 19th court appearance and was arrested January 11th, 1991.

In March 1996 Teskey was sentenced to six months in jail for injuring the penis of his girlfriend's two-year-old son. Teskey, then 26, had been convicted of assault causing bodily harm in September 1994.

The judge at his trial took into account his 28-month stay at the Edmonton Remand Centre.

The judge also turned down a prosecution request to have Teskey declared a dangerous offender which would have kept him in prison indefinitely.

She ruled there wasn't enough evidence he is likely to seriously hurt people in the future even though two of three psychiatrists who testified said he was a psychopath.

In February 2002 Teskey, then 33, was convicted of aggravated assault, break and enter and possession of stolen property.

Dougald Miller was left paralysed after the brutal assault on November 21st, 2000 in an apartment building he owned at 9524 114th Avenue.

Miller's skull and ribs were fractured, one of his ears ripped off, his brain bruised and bleeding. His suite had been broken into and a station wagon, loaded with old clothes intended for the Salvation Army, stolen.

Miller remained in a coma for 11 months after the attack and now lives in a facility where he receives round-the-clock nursing care. He can only communicate by blinking.

A Crown prosecutor sought the maximum 14-year sentence for the aggravated assault on Miller and an extra eight years on the break-and-enter and theft conviction. The Crown also sought to have Teskey declared a dangerous offender.

A dangerous offender is sentenced to prison for an indefinite period of time. Every two years, the National Parole Board reviews the case. He is released only when the board determines he no longer poses a risk to society.

In March 2005 Leo Teskey was declared a dangerous offender. Dougald Miller is not expected to recover.

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