Family of woman fatally shot by Calgary police on Deerfoot Trail speaks out

The family of an Edmonton woman who was shot and killed by Calgary police during a confrontation on Deerfoot Trail in June says she was struggling with her mental health at the time of her death.

Adam Vaananen says he was horrified when police officers showed up at his door to tell him the mother of his only child had died.

“The floor fell out from under me and from under my son,” said Vaananen.

“It was so shocking and we were so horrified. The wind was taken out of us.”

Vaananen is the former spouse of 53-year-old Melanie Hambrook, who was shot and killed by members of the Calgary Police Service on June 21 during a confrontation with an alleged erratic driver along Deerfoot Trail.

Hambrook’s loved ones say she was a long-time Edmonton resident, originally from eastern Canada, and they are still struggling to understand what she was doing in Calgary at the time of the shooting.

“I had informed the authorities she was having trouble with her mental well-being,” said Vaananen.

“I believe police should have asked me more questions. She’s not a violent person, and she wasn’t suicidal.”

Adam Vaananen, his son, 16-year-old John, and Hambrook’s sister-in-law Darcie Vaananen, all describe her as a nurturer.

“She had an awesome sense of humour and was an amazing cook, and amazing mom “ said the victim’s sister-in-law.

On June 21, police in Calgary were able to box in Hambrook’s vehicle on the northbound side of Deerfoot Trail, between Memorial Drive and 16 Avenue Northeast, after reports of a woman driving erratically for the past 24 hours.

Video of the confrontation that followed shows officers first deploying pepper spray in an attempt to get her to exit her vehicle and comply with police commands.

Hambrook eventually did exit her vehicle and the video shows her advancing towards officers with what appears to be something in her hand.

A preliminary report by investigators with the Alberta Serious Incident Response Teams (ASIRT) said that officers fired a taser and other non-lethal projectiles at her and one officer also fired a police rifle at her. However, ASIRT said the exact sequence of events is part of the investigation.

Hambrook was rushed to hospital in life-threatening condition, where she later died.

The family has started a GoFundMe campaign aimed at helping Adam and John Vaananen navigate the weeks and months ahead, including legal bills to deal with Hambrook’s estate.

Their primary goal is to give Melanie Hambrook a dignified sendoff.

“It’s for a proper burial for her, and for our son and for his well-being, to see that his mother was loved and taken care of,” said Vaananen, through tears.

The family also hopes the results of the investigation will be used to enact policy change, and avoid any future similar deaths.