Canmore man who shot at police with a 3D-printed gun gets 7½ years in prison

A Canmore man who shot at police and was then struck in the face by the officer's return fire has been handed a 7½-year prison sentence. 

Austin Desylva, 28, pleaded guilty earlier this year to firearms, drug and driving offences stemming from a February 2023 incident.

Desylva admitted to fleeing a traffic stop and shooting twice at the RCMP officer who had pursued him.

Caught in crossfire risk 

At the time, he was armed with a 3D-printed Glock-style handgun. 

"Mr. Desylva took his shots while driving a vehicle in and around downtown Canmore and later in a residential area of Canmore, which put many innocent persons at risk of being caught in the crossfire," noted Court of King's Bench Justice Keith Yamauchi in his sentencing decision. 

"Mr Desylva's actions were not impulsive."

• RCMP officer testifies Canmore man was 'shooting to kill' as judge releases video of incident

It was just after 11 p.m. when Desylva pulled a U-turn to evade a traffic stop on Rundle Drive in Canmore. 

RCMP Const. Reyno La Cock noticed and began to pursue Desylva. About two minutes into the pursuit, Desylva took a shot at La Cock's police vehicle, hitting the windshield.

He then fired a second shot, striking a nearby home. 

The officer radioed for backup and cornered the shooter at the end of a cul-de-sac.

La Cock opened fire, shooting 25 times at Desylva, who remained in his car. 

A traffic stop in Canmore that turned into a car pursuit with shots fired

3 months ago

Duration 4:05

On Feb. 24, 2023, a Canmore man fled a traffic stop in his Buick and then shot at an RCMP officer. The officer pursued the man, cornered him at the end of a cul-de-sac and fired 25 shots. CBC News has edited this video for length.

Finally, Desylva got out and fled into the woods, leaving a blood trail that would lead police to his hiding spot against a nearby home two hours later.

Desylva was badly injured, with gunshot wounds to his face and neck, and suffering frostbite. 

ASIRT cleared officer

Police later seized 40 grams of cocaine, a weight scale and $1,800 in cash. 

Desylva admitted he was dealing drugs at the time of the incident. 

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) investigated the shooting and cleared La Cock of any wrongdoing.

Prosecutor Aaron Rankin had asked Yamauchi to impose an eight-year sentence, while defence lawyer Dale Fedorchuk proposed a five-year prison term.

With credit for the time he's already spent behind bars, Desylva has about four years and three months left to serve.