Man pleads guilty to assault for shooting CO2 gun at teen who died during high-speed chase

A Calgary man once facing a murder charge in connection with the death of a teen who was involved in a high-speed chase has pleaded guilty to assault and assault with a weapon.

Ibaad Yar, 15, was killed after the vehicle he was driving crashed, ejecting him from his SUV.

Mahipal Rajputwas a passenger in a car that was chasing Yar's vehicle.

Rajput was shooting at the teens with a CO2 gun as both vehicles reached speeds of up to 157 km/h on inner-city streets.

• Calgary father pleads guilty to killing teen in hit-and-run crash over 'beef' with son

Originally charged with second-degree murder,Rajput pleaded guilty Monday to the lesser offences of assault and assault with a weapon after negotiations between defence lawyer Shamsher Kothari and prosecutor Ken McCaffrey.

The weapon offence related to the CO2 gun. Rajput was convicted ofassault for punching and kicking an injured teen as he lay in the grass after also being ejected from Yar's SUV.

Teensinvolved in 'online beef'

In May 2020, Yar and his friends got in a fight with Udham Sandhu's son.

After a brick was thrown at Sandhu's car window, the two groups made a plan to meet at a nearby school to settle what's been described in court documents as an "online beef."

Sandhu arrived in a Buick along with Rajput whileYarwas driving the other vehicle, a Dodge Journey.

Yar told his passengers the plan was to "stab," "beat," and "break his leg with that bat," referring to Sandhu.

Once Yar and his friends arrived at the school, Sandhu started following and then chasing the Dodge.

Yar ejected from SUV

For about 30 minutes, the two vehicles sped around the city's northeast, sometimes on residential streets, reaching speeds of up to 157 km/h.

During the chase, Sandhu hit Yar's vehcile at least twice. Then around 2:30 a.m.,on 52nd Street at 16th AvenueN.E., there was another impact.

An accident report was not clear on whether Sandhu swerved into Yar's vehicle or vice versa.

Yarthenlostcontrol of his vehicle, spinning across two lanes. The SUVcame to rest in a green space on the east side of 52nd Street.

Yar, who was not wearing a seatbelt, according to the accident report, was thrown from the SUV and likely hit a metal electrical control box in the green space.

He died at the scene.

On Monday, Court of Queen's Bench Justice David Labrenz accepted Rajput's plea but put the matter over for sentencing.