(rdnewsNOW)

By Sheldon Spackman

March 2024

Trial dates set in downtown stabbing incidents

Apr 9, 2025 | 10:50 AM

A week-long trial has been scheduled next year for a man accused of multiple suspected stabbings in downtown Red Deer last year.

Randall Andrew Cardinal, 35, of Red Deer, is scheduled for trial in Red Deer Court of King’s Bench from April 13-17, 2026.

The trial dates were set following a preliminary hearing held in February to determine if there was enough evidence for the case to go to trial.

Red Deer RCMP say multiple suspected stabbings were the cause of a heavy police presence in the area of 50 Avenue and 52 Street, on the edge of the city’s downtown, on March 18, 2024.

An initial report came in just after 4:30 p.m., with witnesses reporting that a victim had been attacked by an unknown suspect who’d fled the scene. The victim was taken to hospital with serious life-threatening injuries.

January 2023 Incident

Suspect charged in Wetaskiwin serious injury collision found not guilty

29m ago

TWO ARRESTED

Maskwacis RCMP seize weapons and drugs after traffic stop

2h ago

FIRST YEAR

CESD sees progress in Indigenous cultural residency projects

2h ago

Red Deer RCMP deployed all available resources to the area to tend to the victim and locate the suspect.

Within minutes, officers located the suspect and attempted an arrest near 51 Avenue and 48 Street. RCMP say the suspect ran and was chased down.

During the arrest, it’s alleged the suspect stabbed one officer multiple times and bit another. The suspect was subdued and arrested. The injured officer was taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was later released.

RCMP say that while all this was happening, members were made aware of another stabbing victim in the area of 48 Avenue and 50 Street, also downtown. That victim was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, then was treated and released.

Cpl. Troy Savinkoff said at the time of the arrest that their investigation was heavily focused on trying to determine the individual’s motivations.

“It appears that there is a randomness to it, and we don’t believe the individual knew the victims. Right now, it doesn’t appear to have been targeted,” said Savinkoff. “It’s hard to predict what the individual may have done, but in a short amount of time, he did [allegedly] stab two people [plus the police officer] and we don’t have any indication that he knew them. Intervention may have prevented additional people from being injured.”

Savinkoff added, “We were able to respond to this concern of an active threat within a very short amount of time. RCMP are well-equipped to deal with any kind of emergencies, especially in downtown.”

Savinkoff confirmed RCMP were linking the stabbings to the same person, also noting the weapon was believed to be a knife (the length and size of which were undisclosed).

RCMP charged Red Deer resident (of no fixed address), Randall Andrew Cardinal with:

• Aggravated assault of Peace Officer
• Assaulting Peace Officer causing bodily harm
• Aggravated assault (x2)
• Assault with a weapon
• Possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose
• Assaulting Peace Officer with intent to resist arrest (x2)
• Resist peace officer in execution of his duty
• Carrying concealed weapon

“Our officers were able to respond to this incident and locate the suspect in less than 10 minutes,” adds Superintendent Holly Glassford, Detachment Commander, Red Deer RCMP. “The injuries to our officers highlight the dangers that police face when responding to emerging and dangerous threats that repeat offenders pose to our communities.”

Related: Preliminary hearing scheduled for man accused in downtown stabbings

Related: Three stabbed, including police officer, in Red Deer’s downtown

For local news delivered daily to your email inbox, subscribe for free to the rdnewsNOW newsletter here. You can also download the rdnewsNOW mobile app in the Google Play and the Apple App Stores.