Edmonton police officer shot
The shooting took place at about 8 p.m. local time as a member of the force’s Hate Crimes division, Const. Daniel Woodall, 35, and other officers including Sgt. Jason Harley, 38, were at the location of a home-based business run by Norman Raddatz, who some news organizations said was a member of the group called Freemen of the Land. The search warrant was related to criminal harassment and it was considered a routine serving.
Area residents reported hearing from 10 to 13 shots but police say there were dozens of shots from inside the home; they did not return fire. Deputy Police Chief Danielle Campbell told media Const. Woodall was shot dead.
Reporters noted officers shedding tears on hearing their comrade was dead. The officer was a husband and a father of two young children. Sgt. Harley was hit in his vest but the bullets that hit Const. Woodall missed his vest and he was said to have been hit multiple times.
He was shot and killed while outside by someone, believed to be Raddatz, who was inside the house. Because the gunman was still in the house it took a while for the body of Const. Woodall to be recovered. The house was set ablaze and police believe Raddatz started the two-alarm fire.
The house burned to the ground and the body of a man, believed to be Raddatz, was found in the basement. It was not safe for firefighters to move in and put out the fire as it was unknown if the gunman was alive. The house had been located in the Callingwood area at 186 Street and 62A Avenue.
Freemen of the Land
Freemen of the Land is a loose group of individuals who believe they are not bound by government jurisdiction. They believe statue law cannot be forced upon anyone and typically refuse to pay taxes. The movement is in North America and Europe but is not formal and membership is small and they are not known to be violent.
It’s not certain Raddatz was affiliated with the group but some news outlets report he was. The Edmonton Sun quoted a police officer on the scene who said that he hoped that Raddatz “burns in hell.”
Const. Woodall is the first Edmonton officer to die on duty since Ezio Faraone, who was shot dead while chasing bank robbers almost 25 years ago to the day, in June of 1990.
