Alberta's police watchdog to investigate fatal shooting in central Edmonton

Alberta's policing watchdog has been directed to investigate after a man was fatally shot by officers in central Edmonton Friday morning.

The suspect was shot near the LRTtracks along 95th Street near105th Avenue following a confrontation with officers, police said in a news release.

The man was seen by officers around 6:30 a.m. in the area of 103A Avenue and 96th Street, carrying what appeared to be a firearm.

A tactical team and a canine unit were called in to contain the areaas officers continued to monitor the suspect, the releasesaid.

The man fledtoward the LRT tracks where aconfrontation occurred and police opened fire.

The suspect was taken to hospital where he died of his injuries later Friday morning, the releasesaid. No officers were injured.

'Like firecrackers going off'

Darnell Daye, who has lived in the neighourhood for 22 years, said he was sittingin his apartment on Friday morning when he heard gunshots outside.

"I was on my computer, and I heard of a bunch of guns, like firecrackers going off, " Daye said in an interview with CBC News.

"I figured it was firecrackers, so I go out on my balcony to see what was going on and I could smell gunpowder from my balcony. That's what I told police already."

Daye said he went back inside and immediately called police. He continued to watch the police investigation unfold throughout the morning from his balcony overlooking the scene.

He said saw several police cars and ambulances come and go from the scene. A half an hour later,police had begunblocking off the streets and containing the scene.

"Its kind of scary."

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has been directed to investigate, police said.

ASIRT investigates events where serious injury or death may have been caused by police or when there are allegations of police misconduct.

LRT service to Churchill Station was stopped during the investigation but it resumed around 3:30 p.m, according to Edmonton Transit Service.

There have been threeofficer-involved shooting events this year, police said Friday. There were five in 2021 and four in 2020.