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Charges likely in fatal attack at central Alberta medical clinic: RCMP

A vigil was held Monday night to mourn the victim
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(The Canadian Press)

Mounties say they anticipate charges will be laid after a Red Deer physician was killed in a violent attack at a medical clinic in central Alberta yesterday.

Supt. Gerald Grobmeier held a news conference last night but wouldn’t confirm details.

He says a suspect is in custody and charges are likely.

Grobmeier says other staff and patients were in the Village Mall Walk-In Clinic at the time of the attack and will likely suffer trauma because of what they saw.

He describes it as an isolated but extremely brazen crime.

“I am sickened to learn that a member of our community died in such a violent tragedy,” Grobmeier said.

“My heart goes out to the family … no one expects that.”

He said one officer was struck with a blunt weapon during the arrest, and was treated for minor injuries.

Premier Jason Kenney and Health Minister Tyler Shandro both tweeted that they were saddened to hear about the fatal attack on the doctor.

Dr. Christine Molnar, president of the Alberta Medical Association, said in a statement that the organization will be reaching out to local medical staff for support.

Anina Mullin was in the waiting room of Village Mall Walk-In Clinic with her daughter when she heard banging and screams coming out of the examination room.

“While we were waiting in line to be checked in, there were banging noises, and someone yelling “help me, help me, call 911,” Mullin told Black Press Media.

That prompted the receptionist to check what was going on.

“She immediately came back, very distraught and said ‘can anyone help the doctor’”

Two men in the waiting room rushed to help, and Mullin “saw one of them turned around and started running towards me, so I immediately grabbed my daughter’s hand and I said ‘we need to get out,’” the witness said.

From then on, she saw the incident unfold from her car.

According to the Red Deer mother, the two men pushed on the door to make sure the attacker didn’t escape.

The incident lasted about five minutes, before police came, starting at about 11:10 a.m., said Mullin.

As police entered the clinic, the mother said she saw a hammer narrowly miss one of the officers.

“It was drenched in blood from what we could see. We couldn’t see the silver part on it. It was just dark – dark red almost,” Mullin said.

Black Press Media is not naming the physician at this time.

The Canadian Press

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