ENTWISTLE, Alta. — RCMP say a man is dead following a police pursuit and a shooting involving officers west of Edmonton.
Mounties say they received a notice Sunday afternoon to be on the lookout for a person wanted for an aggravated assault in Onion Lake, Sask., who was also believed to be in possession of a firearm.
Cpl. Deanna Fontaine says cellphone information indicated the suspect was west of Edmonton and a vehicle was located in the area about 8:30 p.m.
The driver fled a traffic stop and, after a chase, a spikebelt was used to stop the vehicle at Highway 16 near the hamlet of Entwistle, about 95 kilometres from Edmonton.
“An interaction occurred between RCMP members and the male suspect who was the sole occupant of the vehicle that led to officers firing their service firearms,” Fontaine said Monday.
“The RCMP emergency response team medic provided first aid to the male immediately following the incident before emergency medical services arrived on scene to take over. However, the male was injured fatally and died on scene.”
None of the officers involved was injured and the matter is now with the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, Fontaine said.
“ASIRT has been directed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the officer-involved shooting and the actions of police,” Fontaine said.
“The RCMP will continue to investigate the events leading up to the confrontation with police, but the RCMP will not be commenting further.”
Fontaine said a fatality in such circumstances is hard on everyone involved.
“As always our sympathies go out to the family of the individual, who was fatally injured, and we have support for the officers involved.”
Highway 16, which was closed for several hours, has been reopened.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 31, 2020
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The Canadian Press