Derek Fildebrandt, the former United Conservative Party (UCP) MLA and current publisher of the Western Standard, is facing criminal charges after an incident involving a group of teenagers near his Calgary residence. According to court documents, Fildebrandt has been charged with four counts of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm.
The incident occurred just before 9 p.m. on April 13, 2024, when four teenagers, aged 13 and 14, paused outside Fildebrandt’s home while enroute to a nearby convenience store. The Calgary Police Service stated that Fildebrandt confronted the teens, believing they were vandalizing his property. When the youths fled, Fildebrandt allegedly pursued them in his vehicle while threatening them. The situation deescalated only when a neighbor intervened, prompting Fildebrandt to return to his home.
In defense, Fildebrandt has enlisted lawyer Alain Hepner, who contends that the circumstances of the incident are exaggerated. “The facts are very much exaggerated, and the context of the events will be very significant at the trial,” Hepner stated.
Following the public release of the charges, Fildebrandt issued a detailed statement on his Western Standard website, asserting that the teens had fabricated the story to evade repercussions for property vandalism. He claims that he merely yelled at them to stay off his property and subsequently contacted the police to address the situation. Contrary to the teens’ claims of being chased with a shotgun, Fildebrandt explained that what they saw was actually his walking cane, which he has used since a motorcycle accident last September.
Fildebrandt further stated that following the incident, he faced threats from the teens’ relatives who visited his home and insulted him. He stressed that his actions were a legitimate response to protect his property, emphasizing, “When my property was under attack, I did what every citizen has a right to do: loudly tell them to stop, call the police and non-physically confront them.”
This legal trouble is not Fildebrandt’s first. His past is marked by multiple controversies, including a resignation from the UCP caucus in 2017 amidst a series of incidents, such as subletting his taxpayer-funded apartment and a hit-and-run conviction. Additionally, in February 2018, he faced fines related to illegal hunting.
As the legal proceedings unfold, Fildebrandt is barred from any contact with the teenagers involved as per his release conditions. The case adds another chapter to the turbulent public life of the former legislator, underscoring ongoing legal and ethical challenge
