The Black Friday Siege: The Murder of Detective Boyd Davidson
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11/27/23 • 60 min
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Episode 295: On the afternoon of December 20, 1974, a storekeeper in Calgary, Alberta, alerted the police about a customer, Philippe Laurier Gagnon, 26, who became aggressive after being denied the sale of airplane glue. The individual fled, and police pursued him to his residence two blocks away. When officers approached the suspect's residence, they were met with gunfire. Additional police, more than 130 officers, arrived to find the suspect armed with two rifles rifle in a garage. Gagnon refused to come out. A shootout ensued, resulting in the death of Detective Boyd Davidson, 43, after being shot in the neck. Six other officers were wounded by gunfire, and several others were injured.
After a military armoured car arrived, police gained the upper hand, smashed into the house and dislodged the gunman from his hideout. Gagnon, who had two rape convictions, a history of assault as well as a record of mental illness and drug abuse, also died at the scene in a hail of bullets as he charged at the officers.
Detective Davidson, a 23-year veteran of the police force and key figure in establishing the combined police and fire arson squad, left behind a wife and five children. His death and what was learned from the events led to the creation of the Calgary Police Service’s tactical team and changes to policing nationwide.
Sources:
Calgary Herald 21 Dec 1974, page 1
Edmonton Journal 24 Dec 1974, page 3
The Ottawa Journal 24 Dec 1974, page Page 2
The Vancouver Sun 28 Dec 1974, page 60
The Daily Herald-Tribune 30 Dec 1974, page 2
Black Friday: The day that changed policing in Canada
Calgray Herald - 40 years ago Black Friday transformed Calgary policing
Thugs, Thieves & Outlaws: A dark day for Calgary police
Calgary Police Service | Facebook
Tribute to fallen officers | Calgary Police
About our Tactical Unit | Calgary Police
Calgary's armoured rescue vehicle set to retire
Calgary police unveil new armoured vehicle | CBC News
Black Friday | YouthLinkYYC | YouTube
PTSD among Police Officers: Impact on Critical Decision Making
PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS INJURIES
Public Safety Personnel’s interpretations of potentially traumatic events
Calgary Police Service officer joins somber list of members killed in line of duty - Calgary
Driver in death of CPS officer sentenced to 12 years
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Episode 295: On the afternoon of December 20, 1974, a storekeeper in Calgary, Alberta, alerted the police about a customer, Philippe Laurier Gagnon, 26, who became aggressive after being denied the sale of airplane glue. The individual fled, and police pursued him to his residence two blocks away. When officers approached the suspect's residence, they were met with gunfire. Additional police, more than 130 officers, arrived to find the suspect armed with two rifles rifle in a garage. Gagnon refused to come out. A shootout ensued, resulting in the death of Detective Boyd Davidson, 43, after being shot in the neck. Six other officers were wounded by gunfire, and several others were injured.
After a military armoured car arrived, police gained the upper hand, smashed into the house and dislodged the gunman from his hideout. Gagnon, who had two rape convictions, a history of assault as well as a record of mental illness and drug abuse, also died at the scene in a hail of bullets as he charged at the officers.
Detective Davidson, a 23-year veteran of the police force and key figure in establishing the combined police and fire arson squad, left behind a wife and five children. His death and what was learned from the events led to the creation of the Calgary Police Service’s tactical team and changes to policing nationwide.
Sources:
Calgary Herald 21 Dec 1974, page 1
Edmonton Journal 24 Dec 1974, page 3
The Ottawa Journal 24 Dec 1974, page Page 2
The Vancouver Sun 28 Dec 1974, page 60
The Daily Herald-Tribune 30 Dec 1974, page 2
Black Friday: The day that changed policing in Canada
Calgray Herald - 40 years ago Black Friday transformed Calgary policing
Thugs, Thieves & Outlaws: A dark day for Calgary police
Calgary Police Service | Facebook
Tribute to fallen officers | Calgary Police
About our Tactical Unit | Calgary Police
Calgary's armoured rescue vehicle set to retire
Calgary police unveil new armoured vehicle | CBC News
Black Friday | YouthLinkYYC | YouTube
PTSD among Police Officers: Impact on Critical Decision Making
PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS INJURIES
Public Safety Personnel’s interpretations of potentially traumatic events
Calgary Police Service officer joins somber list of members killed in line of duty - Calgary
Driver in death of CPS officer sentenced to 12 years
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Previous Episode
The Quakers and The Killers: The Murder of Peter Lazier
Episode 294: On the evening of December 21, 1883, near Bloomfield, Ontario, visitor Peter Lazier was murdered by two intruders at the farmhouse of Quakers Gilbert and Margaret Jones. The community, deeply affected, quickly organized a search. They traced footprints in the snow, leading to Joseph Thomset and the Lowder family's homes near West Lake. By the next day, Joseph Thomset and brothers David and George Lowder were arrested and charged with murder.
The legal process moved rapidly. The coroner's inquest began the next day, followed by formal proceedings within a week. The trial, held at the Prince Edward County Courthouse in Picton just five months later, suggested the motive was robbery, aimed at stealing the $555 Gilbert Jones earned from selling hops. George Lowder and Joseph Thomset were found guilty of murder and hanged in June of 1884. Many felt justice was served, but others believed the law got it wrong, acting hastily without sufficient evidence.
Sources:
The Canadian Encyclopedia | Quakers
The Lazier Murder: Prince Edward County, 1884 — Robert J. Sharpe
The Kingston Whig-Standard 24 Dec 1883, page 2
Ottawa Daily Citizen 24 Dec 1883, page 1
Manitoba Weekly Free Press 15 May 1884, page 2
The Lazier murder trial of 1884 – did they get the right men?
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Next Episode
Extreme Misogyny: The Montreal Massacre
Episode 296: On December 6, 1989, a tragic and profound event shook Canada and had a lasting impact. That evening, a gunman entered the École Polytechnique in Montreal, an engineering school affiliated with the Université de Montréal. This act of violence was specifically targeted against women, marking it as a horrific instance of gender-based violence. The attacker, motivated by his hatred for feminists whom he blamed for his personal and professional failures, embarked on a rampage through the school.
The consequences were devastating — in less than 20 minutes, 14 young women lost their lives.
They were: Anne-Marie Edward, Sonia Pelletier, Geneviève Bergeron, Maryse Leclair, Barbara Daigneault, Maud Haviernick, Michèle Richard, Anne-Marie Lemay, Annie Turcotte, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Annie St-Arneault, Maryse Laganière and Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz.
Also, ten more women and four men were injured before the cowardly gunman ended his own life. The event, later known as the École Polytechnique Massacre or the Montreal Massacre, left a deep scar on Canadian society. It led to increased awareness and action against gender-based violence, prompting changes in gun control laws and police procedures. The date, December 6, was subsequently declared the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada, serving as a sombre reminder of the need to combat gender-based violence and discrimination.
Sources:
Women in scientific occupations in Canada
The Montreal Massacre — The Target — Crime Library on truTV.com
Because They Were Women - The Montreal Massacre — Josée Boileau
Historical CBC Reports on the Massacre
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