EDMONTON — A man has been shot dead and a police officer has been injured during a gunfight in Edmonton, the second shooting in Alberta in a matter of days in which police were hurt.
The shooting happened Sunday evening at a townhouse complex in southwest Edmonton where officers had gone to execute a search warrant.
Police say there was an exchange of gunfire with a suspect, who died at the scene. An officer was taken to hospital with a non-life-threatening wound.
Shawn Dunington, who lives in the townhouse complex, said he heard shots outside his suite.
“There was nine for the first set, then angry shouting, then eight (shots), then silence, ” said Dunington. “By that point I had gotten to the corner and started dialling 911. I poked my nose around the corner a quick second and there was a vehicle up there and a guy lying down beside the truck.”
Police Chief Rod Knecht told a late-night news conference that the wounded Edmonton Police Service member had to undergo a series of tests.
“I can tell you the officer is coherent and heavily sedated for pain. The (officer’s) family is doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances. You know this is Mother’s Day. I think it hits close to home and it’s a very difficult situation for everyone.”
Alberta Justice Minister Jonathan Denis released a statement following the Edmonton shooting. In it, he said the violence “serves as another stark reminder of the dangers our police and peace officers face daily.”
On Friday evening a man was killed and three RCMP officers were injured — one seriously — during a gunfight on the busiest street in the town of St. Paul after a pickup truck slammed into a police vehicle. Mounties said John Carlos Quadros, a 55-year-old St. Paul business owner, died during the gun battle.
Shortly before that shooting, a 32-year-old priest identified as Father Gilbert Dasna was gunned down at the rectory of the community’s St. Paul Catholic church. Police are still trying to determine if there is a link between the two shootings.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, a provincial unit that investigates the use of force by police, has taken over the investigation into both shootings.
— with files from CHED