Homeless man robbed and attacked with taser in Calgary

"This is fairly unusual in Calgary," said Constable Gord Denis.

That's only because this is just the beginning - we are going to see many more instances of citizens attacking each other with tasers. Wait for it.

August 18, 2008
NADIA MOHARIB, The Calgary Sun

Police are looking for two men who launched an unprovoked attack on a homeless man, hitting him across the head and repeatedly jolting him with a Taser before swiping his cellphone and bike.

Const. Gord Denison said although incidents seeing crooks armed with Tasers are rare, any case is disturbing. "This is fairly unusual in Calgary," he said yesterday.

"But they're a weapon and no different than a knife or any other weapon" when used with violent intent, he added.

Denison said the unsuspecting man in his 40s was ambushed as he walked near 5 St. and 23 Ave. S.W. just before 4 a.m. on Aug. 11.

"The victim was a harmless, homeless guy minding his own business, walking his bike," Denison said.

"This was for no apparent reason."

The man was reaching for his cellphone to offer to one of the strangers, who had asked to borrow it, when a second man jumped from the bushes and began hitting him with what might have been a metal pipe.

The first suspect then repeatedly jolted the victim with a stun gun.

Then the suspects took the man's cellphone and mountain bike, leaving him with contusions to his head and neck area as well as bruising and burn marks to his back.

Police said a Good Samaritan phoned for help upon hearing the commotion.

Police are now trying to find the victim again to see how he is faring while hoping to get leads on finding suspects behind the cowardly crime.

Anyone with information about the attack is asked to call Denison at 403-567-6100 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

The suspects are said to be two white men about 6-ft.-tall with heavy builds, one bald and the other dark-haired.

There may have been a possible third suspect who rode away on the stolen bike.