Chris Shearer, a 56-year-old Drumheller resident accused of assaulting an 80-year-old man at the Beiseker Centex gas station on Jan. 5, has entered a plea of not guilty on all four charges.
Charges laid included aggravated assault, robbery, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and mischief under $5,000. He will go to trial in front of a judge on April 25, 2025, at the Airdrie Court of Justice.
Shearer told the Rocky View Weekly in an email last week he has pleaded not guilty due to self defence.
According to a publicly released police report, Shearer reported a vehicle had tried to run him off the road months prior to the Beiseker Centex incident in September 2023. The report stated a chargeable suspect had been identified, and that Shearer had requested the driver of the other vehicle be spoken to by RCMP.
The Rocky View Weekly was unable to speak to the 80-year-old man about the incident.
The Jan. 5 assault
Shearer came into the Beiseker RCMP detachment around 8 a.m. on Jan. 5 advising officers he had just been involved in a physical altercation with another male at the Centex gas station in the village, according to police reports. He told police he may have injured him.
The victim was an 80-year old man later identified online as "Robert," who was admitted to hospital with serious injuries. He was released shortly after to recover at home.
The RCMP investigation indicated the assault resulted from a road rage incident that occurred on the highway.
After the assault, Shearer allegedly broke the victim's vehicle window and stole his keys, as was seen on surveillance footage from the gas station.